Lyrics
Verse 1
How lovely Your dwelling place
My soul longs and even faints
Just to meet You in the courts
Of the presence of the Lord
Pre-Chorus
Oh how pleasing
Oh how sweet
At Your altar
At Your feet
Chorus
I will dwell in the house of the Lord
I will rest in the sound of His voice
Oh my heart, my flesh
Will sing for joy
As I dwell in the house of the Lord
Verse 2
If the sparrow finds a home
And the swallow brings her young
Then I will find my rest in You
And I'll bring all my treasures too
Pre-Chorus 2
Holy refuge, hiding place
Lead me on from strength to strength
Chorus
I will dwell in the house of the Lord
I will rest in the sound of His voice
Oh my heart, my flesh
Will sing for joy
As I dwell in the house of the Lord
Bridge (x2)
No good thing will You withhold from
Those who love You, Lord, we love You
Just one day within Your presence
So much better, Lord, You're better
Chorus
I will dwell in the house of the Lord
I will rest in the sound of His voice
Oh my heart, my flesh
Will sing for joy
As I dwell in the house of the Lord
Outro
Oh my heart, my flesh
Will sing for joy
As I dwell in the house of the Lord
I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
This worship song is a setting of Psalm 84, and its lines follow the psalm closely. The opening, "How lovely Your dwelling place", leads into a soul that "longs and even faints" to meet God in the courts of the Lord. The sparrow that finds a home and the swallow that brings her young are taken from the psalm and used as pictures of rest in God's presence.
The refrain gathers the central desire into one repeated statement: "I will dwell in the house of the Lord". Resting in the sound of His voice and singing for joy with heart and flesh give the chorus a settled, trusting tone. A prayer for a refuge and hiding place that leads "from strength to strength" carries the psalm's language about pilgrims who go on from one stage to the next.
The bridge repeats the line "No good thing will You withhold" and says that one day in God's presence is better than any other place. The song may be sung by a congregation or alone, and it keeps the focus on longing for God rather than on any outward circumstance.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 84:1-4 The psalm longs for the courts of the Lord and notes that the sparrow and swallow find a home near His altars.
- Psalm 84:10-11 A day in God's courts is better than a thousand elsewhere, and no good thing is withheld from those who walk uprightly.