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One Thing

by Micky Galloway

“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 inquire in His temple” (Psalms 27:4).

I can think of no greater goal in life than the one which David mentioned. From time to time it becomes necessary to evaluate our priorities in life. We can learn much from this statement from David.

“One thing have I desired of the Lord.” Man’s heart needs to be single, set on one thing. Divided allegiance with reference to one’s service to God is fatal. Jesus taught that a man cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24) and where one’s treasure is, there will his heart be also (Matthew 6:19-21). Not only does man’s heart need to be single, it needs to be set on spiritual things. Many are only concerned about temporal things. David had learned that the pleasures of the world are fleeting. The world and all that is in it is passing away (I John 2:15-17). Having his heart set on spiritual things, David recognized that only the Lord can fulfill this one thing. Therefore, he turns to God to find lasting satisfaction (cf. Ecclesiastes 12:13). Yet, in this, he realizes that his desire will not be fulfilled by empty yearning left alone.

“That will I seek after.” David realized that he must seek after the things which his heart desired if he ever expected to have them. Man’s energies are usually consumed in pursing the things which his heart desires. We do what we want to do. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). If a man’s life is characterized by habits such as forsaking the assembling, neglect of prayer, failure to study God’s word, his heart is not set on spiritual things (cf. Colossians 3:1-2). The things which his heart desires are the things he has time for doing. The parables of the merchant who found the goodly pearl and the man who stumbled upon a treasure which was hidden in the field illustrate that a man should be willing to part with everything he has in order to obtain the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:44-45). The Lord must have first place (Matthew 6:33).

“That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” His ONE desire of the Lord and the thing after which he sought was to be able to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life. David had appreciation for the house of the Lord under the Old Covenant (Psalms 63:1-2; 26:8). David said, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psalms 122:1 KJV). This physical structure was the place of God’s presence, the divinely revealed place of worship and the place where God revealed His will to man. Even so should Christians appreciate, adore, and long to dwell in the house of the Lord under the New Covenant, His church (I Timothy 3:15). We should be content with the Lord’s church and have no desire to flirt with man-made denominations and innovations of men. Further, it was David’s desire to “dwell” there “all the days of my life.” He wanted the constant association with the Lord. So likewise, we should want our association with the Lord to be so close that when we are in trouble, we are not turning to a stranger for help.

“To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” We too must be impressed with the balance of his character. God is a God of love, yet a God of vengeance and wrath. “Behold then the goodness and severity of God” (Romans 11:22). God in His holiness makes provision for sinful men to draw near to Him (Hebrews 10:22). David wanted to be in the house of the Lord that he might continue to have access to the word of the Lord. Even as David wanted to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life in order that he might learn more about God’s will for his life, so also should Christians want to be in the Lord’s house, the church, the spiritual body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23) with other saints to learn the will of God in this life.

How would you finish the sentence, “One thing have I desired …”? Would this change your priorities?

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