One Thing

“One thing have I asked 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 gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to inquire in His temple.”

—Psalm 27:4

The author of this Psalm is King David. It is a prayer to be in God’s presence. David knew that our joy and ultimate pleasure came from being in His presence, “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.” He also understood that when confronted with the stark realities of life’s hardships, worship and adoration took on new meaning. This Psalm was not written in the midst of comfort, but of conflict. That’s why the Psalm begins with, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” The Psalmist was confronted with “evildoers” (v. 2), “adversaries” (v. 2), “foes” (v.2), “enemies” (v. 6), and “false witnesses,” (v. 12). He wrote of “fear” (v.1), being “afraid” (v. 1), “assailed” (v. 2), with an “army” encamped against him. He wrote of the possibility of “war” and going through the “day of trouble” (v. 5). He sought God’s presence in the midst of pain and problems, not just in prosperity and peace. God’s presence is most manifest in our lives in the midst of our pain and problems.

One thing. Just one thing. Not several things. Not money, power, love, fame, or pleasure. One thing. One thing I have asked… He has requested just one thing. Not several. He is not looking for frivolous pursuits, but one thing. That “one thing” trumps all other things. He wasn’t asking to have his pain removed. He wants to be in God’s presence more than anything else. It’s his passion, the holy pursuit and purpose of His life. “…that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life.” He is writing about the Tabernacle (the Temple had not been built yet). The Tabernacle was the visible symbol of God’s manifest presence and the place where any person could go and inquire of God. What did David want? What was His request? David wanted to be in the presence of Almighty God. Why? Because it is in God’s presence that everything else finds meaning. The earthly pleasures we possess are all to point to Him. Everything is about Him. He is our passion, our pursuer, and purpose. He has created us for a purpose, to give Him glory. As Isaiah the prophet states, “everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made"—Isaiah 43:7.

God formed us to give Him glory. Each person is born with a God-shaped hole in his or her heart, but man tries in vain to fill it with all kinds of different pursuits. We were made for God and we will never experience abundant life until we have Him in our lives. As Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly”—John 10:10. The abundant life comes only after we abide in Him (John 15:1-11). When we abide in Him, we are given the gift of joy. As Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full”—John 15:11.   Jesus rejoices in us as we rejoice in Him. When we are in the presence of Almighty God, we experience inexpressible joy. More rapturous than any earthly experience could define, and more pleasurable than anything the five senses could define. Our joy is inexpressible and full of glory.

What is the one thing that you are passionately pursuing in your life? Pain has a way of bringing out the real pursuit of our hearts. Everything that is not focused on or from God is exposed for what it is and torn away. Only God is left and He is everything. The pain that God brings into our lives may not be welcomed or sought, but once there, it helps us to see the presence of Jesus more fully.

David, in the midst of all his struggles and pain, pursued God. His pursuit of Jesus is a reminder to us that God is our reason for being. May God show Himself to be our one true satisfaction and passion. May our Lord make His presence known in the midst of the pain that we are facing. And may His presence in the midst of our pain, overflow in a spirit of praise that He might receive the glory for which we were made. Amen.