Jentezen Franklin Daily Devotional (September 5, 2025) A Heart Addicted to His Presence.
“I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” Psalm 84:10
When the Ark of the Covenant left Obededom’s house and was carried back to Jerusalem, he must have felt a deep ache. His home had been saturated with God’s presence, and now it was gone. He could not imagine life without it. His family had been changed, his heart had been transformed, and he knew that nothing else compared.
So when David called for volunteers to serve in the temple, Obededom’s hand shot up again and again. Others may have rolled their eyes, but he did not care. He signed up for everything. To thank and praise God, he volunteered. To sweep the floors, he volunteered. To join the choir where no one would notice him, he volunteered. Even to play the harp he could not yet play, he volunteered. Every chance he had to stay near God’s presence, Obededom seized it with joy.
Why? Because he knew what it was to live with His presence and he knew what it was to live without it. And he refused to go back.
Obededom teaches you something vital. Do not take the presence of God lightly. You may have been around church for years. You may know the songs, the sermons, and the rhythms of Sunday. But there is a danger in becoming too familiar. What once thrilled you can become routine. What once made you weep can become common.
Obededom’s passion reminds you to keep your heart alive with wonder. It is better to sweep the floor in God’s house than to be honored anywhere else. It is better to serve behind the scenes in His presence than to be celebrated without Him. God honored Obededom’s devotion by raising him up. He was chosen as a gatekeeper, placed among the Levites, and his descendants became mighty men of valor.
One man’s hunger for God touched generations.
What about you? Will you let the presence of God be the most important treasure in your life? Will you choose to serve, to worship, and to give simply because you cannot live without Him? If you do, your family and your future will be marked by blessing.
Prayer: Lord, give me a heart like Obededom, a heart that cannot live without Your presence. Keep me from growing familiar or casual with the gift of being near You. Let my service, my worship, and my life overflow with gratitude. And may my devotion to You mark my family for generations to come. Amen.
