One Thing!

One Thing!

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. Psalm 27:4 KJV

The Inspiration:

These are the words of David, the man after God's heart. As you read the words above, you get the clear impression that a lot of things are important and all require attention, but there comes a time when a man must sit down, evaluate all that is before him, weigh all options and stick with that which is important and critical to life. Like Paul would say, all things may be lawful, but not all things are expedient or even edifying. Life will throw all sorts of things at you, demanding time and attention, but I have to consider what is really important and take action as appropriate. The reward system for the world is not tied to effort but to results, and this is why the men of the world will do anything, even illegal, in order to achieve results. The world will not lift a finger to help you with the burden, but it will demand recognition and praise when the results are made manifest, no matter what you did to achieve them. 

The Contention:

Fortunately, God works by different standards, providing all the help I need in order to achieve the results that glorify Him. He wants me to trust Him with my life, that is all of it, not a parr or most of it. There will  be many valid channels and different perspectives that will demand attention, but the critical thing is to know what is imperative and important from God's perspective, and to stick to it, to the exclusion of ALL other things. The devil will try and make other things seem important, and he will try and distract, but like David here, and Paul also, later in the New Testament, I must know what is proper and appropriate for the times I am in. David knew the value of a focused life, and he would not seek anything else, except that glorified Him. His presence is what we all need, no matter how much it is we already have. His presence is all that counts for value; without it, it does not really matter what else you have. Let the world perish with its possessions; everything will still burn with fire eventually. Like David, God's house must be my priority.

The Conclusion

It isn't so much about the physical structure, but about the lives He has placed around me. It is also not about hanging around church, but about having the God of the church as your Lord and Saviour. Don't settle just for being one of the number in church; make sure that God can count on you as one of His own. David understood that quite clearly, and he would seek God's face for anything and everything. He would rather stay in the temple with God, than dwell in the palaces of men. He would rather fall into the hands of God, even it it was for punishment, than fall into the hands of men. You won't find God where sin abounds, so I have to make sure I am not living in sin. I will only see His beauty when He takes the whole of me. I can only enquire of Him and get answers when I trust Him completely with my life. Today is another opportunity to take stock and know where I am with God. Do I have that one thing that is important to the heart of God? Nothing else counts. God's time of favour is here.