Better Is One Day

On the way to and from the mall (yet again!) today, my daughter and I were listening to the Kutless CD that my son bought me for my birthday in November. One song came on that she recalls listening to when she attended a Bible study with one of her friends. The song is called "Better Is One Day."

We were curious about all of the lyrics. You know...sometimes it is difficult to understand all of the words in a Christian rock song. So, I did a search and looked up the lyrics.

Here they are:


"Better Is One Day"

How lovely is
Your dwelling place
Oh Lord Almighty,
For my soul doth long
And even faint
For You
Oh, here my heart
Is satisfied (is satisfied)
Within Your presence
I see beneath
The shadow of
Your wings

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
(Than thousands elsewhere)

One thing I ask,
And I would seek,
To see Your beauty
To find You in
The place Your glory dwells
(One thing I ask)
One thing I ask
And I would seek,
To see Your beauty
To find You in
The place Your glory dwells

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
(Better is one day)
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

(My heart and flesh cry out)
My heart and flesh cry out
For You, the Living God
Your Spirit's water to my soul
I've tasted, and I've seen
Come once again to me
I will draw near to You
I will draw near to You
To You

Better is one day
Better is one day
Better is one day
Than thousands elsewhere
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

*******
These lyrics present much more than what might initially catch your eye or ear.

I am reminded of Bible verses throughout this song that describe the awesome place where we, as born-again believers in Jesus Christ, will dwell.

How lovely is
Your dwelling place
Oh Lord Almighty,

Remember in John chapter 14 where Jesus tells his disciples that "he goes to prepare a place for you?"

Jhn 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Jhn 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.

How does the lyricist know that the Lord's dwelling place will be lovely?

1Cr 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

That is a truly awesome verse! Our eyes, our ears, and even our hearts cannot fathom what God is preparing for those who love him and are called by His name!

You might ask, where "is it written?"

Answer: In the prophet Isaiah's book of the Bible!

Isa 64:4 For since the beginning of the world [men] have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, [what] he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

In the Old Testament, the believers and followers of God were waiting for the coming Messiah. The plan of salvation was mapped out - way back at the beginning of the world. We have the awesome privilege of knowing and seeing through the Scriptures, what the saints of the Old Testament waited for...the first coming of Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God. In his first appearance, he came to take away our sins and place a new heart inside of us. That way, we can be reconciled back to God.


For my soul doth long
And even faint
For You

It will be so wonderful, that our souls, right now, would "faint," meaning, 5. indistinctly understood or felt or perceived; "a faint clue to the origin of the mystery"; "haven't the faintest idea." We cannot even perceive or imagine what it will be like to see our Lord Jesus!

But right now, we are satisfied with what has been revealed to us through Jesus' birth, life, death on the cross and resurrection to life; and God's revelation of truth that His Word provides!

Oh, here my heart
Is satisfied (is satisfied)
Within Your presence

Knowing that Jesus is with me...ALWAYS...no matter WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS LIFE is an awesome knowledge that only God could place through His Spirit, upon my heart, mind and soul. It is God's wisdom that shines through...not my own knowledge.

1Cr 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Jesus promised us the guidance of the Holy Spirit when we confess, repent of our sins, and ask for forgiveness. Believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord releases His mercy upon us, and with his grace, we receive the forgiveness for our sins and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God to make our hearts more like Christ. We can be satisfied within His presence! The Holy Spirit also reveals God's Word so that it comes alive in our hearts and minds. He guides us in the understanding of Scripture!

I have seen this happen in my own life. Bible verses that I once could not comprehend and/or understand are now being made clear to me. This could NOT have happened on my own merit. It is further proof (to me) that Jesus lives in my heart through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I see beneath
The shadow of
Your wings

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
(Than thousands elsewhere)

When we think of being in a "court" on earth, we are either on trial because of a prosecution complaint against us, or, as a defendant against someone else who has done wrong towards us. The third reason we might be in court is as a juror.

However, believers in Jesus Christ go to the Court of God. At His Judgment, we appear with our Advocate, Jesus Christ. This is called the Judgment Seat of Christ.

2Cr 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad.


It is different than the White Throne Judgment for non-believers. See Revelation 20:11-15.

With Jesus as our Redeemer King, we are not held accountable for our sins. They are as far as the east is from the west. What an awesome Lord we have! He died for every one of us so that we could be set free from the penalty for our sins! Our rewards will be affected by this judgment, but our salvation has been sealed in Christ Jesus.




Eph 1:13
In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Eph 1:14
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

I have shared the following essay numerous times on this blog, but it is worth it to read it again.

THE CROSS FROM GOD'S PERSPECTIVE

The Bible says, "We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 2:1-2, KJV). Propitiation is the means by which God's anger is assuaged; His anger is dealt with, and God is made favorable toward us.

Some have said it is barbaric to think that God's anger needs to be assuaged by blood. They say, "How can a sacrifice that makes an angry God favorable be given by the God who is angry in the first place? And what about God's love?"

But it is precisely because God loves us that He had to deal with our sin - and it is on the basis of this that we are accepted. Jesus could die a thousand deaths and yet not achieve salvation for us unless God were satisfied with the sacrifice. Yet the question remains: How can God be both the One who provides the sacrifice that makes Him propitious and be the One who receives the sacrifice?

The simple answer is that God's holiness demands propitiation.

God is blisteringly angry about our every single sin. You can see the awfulness of sin only by seeing what it did to His one and only lovely Son. If God looked at a sin and said, "Well, I'm not too bothered about that one," there would be injustice in His character. God retains His honor by giving His Son.

God unfolded a plan that both showed His unbelievably strong anger at sin and His infinitely strong love for us. He sent His Son and punished Him on our behalf. "The Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world" (1 John 4:14, NIV). No other message beside the cross is able to deal with the root problem of man's sin in relation to the justice and holiness of God.

THE CROSS FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE

The heart of the Gospel is that through Jesus - and His work as our Substitute - God did for us what we could never do for ourselves. The punishment for our sin was dealt with by a substitute: Namely, Jesus. The Bible says, "When we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6, NIV). The Greek word translated "for" means "on behalf of." The word is used repeatedly concerning Jesus: "While we were still sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, NIV).

In our evangelism it is so important that we grasp this because it tells us that when Jesus died on the cross He died on behalf of someone. There is no greater news than the glorious news that Jesus took our place on the cross. We are sinners by nature, but "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV). What a breathtaking verse!

THE CROSS FROM SATAN'S PERSPECTIVE

The Bible calls Satan "the accuser" in Revelation 12:10. He whispers, "You cannot possible expect God to accept you. You have a disgusting imagination. Look at those things you've done - your deceitfulness, your hatred and bitterness. You call yourself a child of God? " And to God, Satan says, in effect, "If You are just at all, You cannot possibly forgive his/her sins and accept him/her. Your justice demands that he/she be punished."

But John tells us how such accusations are dealt with: "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1, KJV). Generally, an advocate will stand up before a judge and plead on behalf of the accused something like this, "My lord, yes, he is not perfect - he has failed- but he is now a kind and helpful citizen, and I am bringing witnesses to testify to his good character." In so doing, the advocate pleads for the judge to be lenient.

Jesus, as our Advocate, doesn't work that way. When Satan accuses, Jesus says to His Father, "Everything You said about him is true. He is wicked; he is sinful. There is not one good thing about him. But, Father, You cannot punish him because the punishment already has been paid - by Me."

The Father looks to the sacrifice of the Son to see that the punishment was paid in full. Atonement made, acceptance guaranteed - and we are free. This is what is meant by Jesus being our Substitute.
"Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free,
For God, the Just, is satisfied,
To look on Him and pardon me." *

Jesus provided for our greatest need - the forgiveness of sin. Apart from Him it could never happen. That is why the cross must be at the heart of our evangelism.

* From "Before the Throne of God Above," by Charitie Lee Bancroft

From "Beware the Crossless Gospel" by Roger Chilvers

We now can see why the lyricist sings over and over again:

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

Youtube live Christian music video performance of "Better is One Day" by Kutless