The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the Lord , that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord , and to enquire in his temple.
Psalms 27:1-4 KJV
There is a wealth of study materials, study helps and commentaries on the Word of God. However, what makes the difference is the personal experience of this God. What would all the reading, listening or studying the Word of God lead to, and what benefit would they have, if they do not lead to a personal experience of God?
The Psalmist was able to personalise this God because he had experienced him on a personal level. God was not just the usual Lord, light or salvation but had become MY Lord, MY Light, MY salvation, MY strength. Even the devil recognises that Jesus is Lord, yet that knowledge will not save him from destruction upon the return of Jesus in glory, so there must be something deeper and bigger than just being able to quote Scriptures from memory. Is this the summary of my life too, or are there other things competing for supremacy and authority over my life?
If God takes all, where is the room for anything else? If God is the sole and final authority over my life, what else can take hold my heart or cause it to fear? When the fear of God is in place in my heart, what other fear can displace it? The opposite is also true: if the fear of God is not the defining finality of my heart, I have got so many other things I must fear. If God is not the One guarding my heart, then I must prepare for heartbreak and disruptions, all flowing from a heart that is not settled on God.
David had his personal experience of God, but that didn't stop enemies from trying. Submission to God is the only guarantee of a life of success and impact, but it does not stop the enemy from trying to conquer the life God has secured for you. I also note that no matter what was going on around and outside, his heart was at peace. You see, the heart is the place of warfare, where the victory is settled and sustained. As long as my heart is right with God, the quality and quantity of the storms around me do not matter. Hosts can encamp, war can rise; all these would have to take place outside my heart because there is no room in my heart for fear, since God has taken over the entire room.
Be careful, then, of a heart of hypocrisy and insincerity. Be careful of a heart that only seeks God for the presents He gives and not the fullness of His Presence. Remember God's verdict about King Amaziah: And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart. The king kept up appearances before men, but the insincerity of his heart was plain before God. How would God able to guard a heart that is not sincere with Him, or totally submitted to Him?
It is in this light that his one request makes sense: I have seen what the enemy can do; how fear can destroy and how hypocrisy can expose me to destruction, so God, I won't leave your presence. Don't take me away from your presence; let me forever live in your house, where you dwell. I know that as long as I can keep my eyes on you, there is nothing else around me that can hold my gaze. As long as all my desires are to Him, I know I will be satisfied with the fullness of His house. I know that when I am in his presence, His will becomes my utmost desire and pursuit, so my enquires will be all about what pleases Him.
When I recall men of old who had a personal experience of the glory of God, like Isaiah, Solomon, Zechariah and others, the only thing that mattered at the time was what this Glorious God wanted, not what their own desires were. Maybe the reason why we still have so many desires for the things of this world is because we are yet to have a personal experience of His glory. When I am yet to see the glory of the Presence of God, the glory of earthly gold and silver becomes my only pursuit. When I see God's glory, the things of earth must fade away.
And it is not a one-off; it is lifelong devotion. It cannot be a switch, turned on and off at will or when convenient. There is an eternal reckoning that will be demanded, so I will do well to prepare. What are my present pursuits and priorities? What are the things holding my heart at present? Remember, a day is coming when the glory of God will reveal my heart's contents, and judgment will be based on God's view, not man's applause or approval. His time of favour is here.
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