Appreciation

“For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Psalm 84:10

...Or to put it another way, I would rather be the doorkeeper in the house of my God, than the chief cook and bottle washer in hell!

The word in the King James Version of our Bibles that is translated ‘porter’ really means a doorkeeper. By the temple of Solomon the humble doorkeeper had an honorable place and a responsible work in the House of the Lord.

In Nehemiah 12:45 they receive honorable mention as doorkeepers of the ward of their God, along with the singers, some of whom are mentioned earlier as being over the business of the House of God. The porter’s job was not carrying baggage, but keeping watch at the doors and gates of important places.

In meetings of the local church today, the saints owe much to the brothers and sisters who are ‘on the door,’ welcoming friends as they arrive, distributing bulletins, and making kindly enquires concerning those who come and their relatives or friends who are on the sick list.

Psalm 84 is a psalm of the sons of Korah who were content to be doorkeepers in the House of the Lord rather than be associated with those who, like their progenitor, Korah, opposed the divinely appointed order and were ambitious to rank along with God’s chosen priests.

Today, as you go to church and you see one of God’s doorkeepers, why not smile at them, give a kind word, and show appreciation to those who volunteer their time to be of service to God’s people.