One Thing

“One thing I have asked of the Lord, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). The thought is the same as that in Matthew 6:33.  If we desire and seek this one thing above all else, all the rest that we need will follow. Our desires, more than anything else, reveal what we really are.  I have found this emphasized in many of the sermons and writings of the Puritans.  They understood that our desires are what characterize us because they cannot be counterfeited.  Actions can easily be counterfeited.  Therefore, we must honestly examine the desires of our hearts.  They will reveal our true spiritual condition.  David tells us that he had this desire for God because he saw the Lord’s beauty and glory.  We must use all the means ordained by God to enjoy communion with Him and nourish righteous desires.  Proverbs 4:23 tells us how vital this is: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life.”  David continues in Psalm 27:5 with the great benefit of experiencing God’s presence with him: “He will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.”