Maranatha! Music was founded in 1971 by Chuck Smith Sr. of Calvary Chapel t… Read Full Bio ↴Maranatha! Music was founded in 1971 by Chuck Smith Sr. of Calvary Chapel to promote the “Jesus Music” his young hippie followers were writing and singing up and down the California coast. In the early years, Maranatha! Music signed artists because of their passionate profession of faith through music. These songs became the seminal calling card of the worship music genre of that time and belonged to the Maranatha! song catalog. Back then, these songs were on the fringe of what the established church felt was appropriate for church music but they were being sung by millions of young people around the world.

Today Is The Day
Maranatha! Music Lyrics

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How lovely is
Your dwelling place
Oh Lord Almighty
For my soul longs
And even faints
For You
Oh, here my heart
Is satisfied (is satisfied)

Within Your presence
I sing 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
To 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

Yeah, than thousands elsewhere (Yeah)
Oh, than thousands elsewhere

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Better is one day" by Maranatha Music are about the longing for the presence of God. The first verse speaks of the longing that the soul feels for God's presence, comparing it to a home longing to be in its rightful place. The second verse expresses the one thing the singer seeks, which is to see the beauty of God and find Him in the place where His glory dwells. The chorus then states the superiority of one day in God's courts and house compared to thousands of days elsewhere, emphasizing the worth of being in God's presence.

The bridge communicates a cry for God to come once again and quench the thirst of the soul, and for the singer to draw near to God. The song concludes by reiterating the chorus, emphasizing the supremacy of one day in God's presence over thousands of days spent elsewhere.

This song is based on Psalm 84, which was written by the Sons of Korah as a song of longing for the temple of God. The psalmist expresses a profound appreciation for being in the courts of the Lord, comparing it to a bird finding a home and a person finding a refuge.

Line by Line Meaning

How lovely is
How beautiful and desirable is

Your dwelling place
The place where You reside

Oh Lord Almighty
Oh God, the all-powerful one

For my soul longs
My soul deeply desires and yearns for

And even faints
And even grows weak with longing for

For You
For Your presence and love

Oh, here my heart
Here in Your presence, my heart

Is satisfied (is satisfied)
Finds total fulfillment and contentment

Within Your presence
In the nearness of You

I sing beneath
I joyfully express myself in song while under

The shadow of
The protective covering of

Your wings
Your care and protection

Better is one day in Your courts
Being in Your courts for one day is superior and more valuable than anything else

Better is one day in Your house
Being in Your house for one day is superior and more valuable than anything else

Than thousands elsewhere
Than spending thousands of days anywhere else

(One thing I ask)
(There's one thing I ask)

One thing I ask
The one thing I desire and seek

And I would seek
And I would persistently search for

To see Your beauty
To witness Your attractiveness and goodness

To find You in
To discover You in the midst of

The place Your glory dwells
Where Your presence and majesty are felt

My heart and flesh cry out
My whole being desperately calls out

To You, the Living God
To You, the God who is alive and active

Your Spirit's water to my soul
Your Spirit refreshes and satisfies my innermost being

I've tasted, and I've seen
I've experienced and recognized

Come once again to me
Please come close to me once more

I will draw near to You
I will intentionally come closer to You

Than thousands elsewhere
More valuable than thousands of anything else

Yeah, than thousands elsewhere (Yeah)
Certainly more valuable than thousands of anything else

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: John Rzeznik

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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