One Thing I Have Desired

"One thing I have desired of the Lord,

That will I seek:

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."

~Psalm 27:4

Does this verse express the cry of our own hearts?  Especially as the Christmas season approaches and minds become consumed with things they want, we must remind ourselves of that which bears infinite value--Jesus Christ Himself--and seek Him with all our hearts.

One thing...

Notice how David's whole being focuses with singleness of heart, mind, and body on this one thing.  If he could have only this, he would be satisfied.  For his own personal gain, he seeks only this.  He doesn't come before the Lord asking for a better job, or a peaceful kingdom, or even a new Ford Mustang.  Rather, David approaches the throne-room of God with one petition on his mouth: That he may dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  Is the Lord our number one (and only) goal in life?  Do we seek this with an undivided heart, longing just for more of His presence?

I have desired...

The Hebrew word used here for "desire" means so much more than simply "a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen" as our culture defines it.  In fact, the Hebrew word is better translated, "to ask, enquire, borrow, beg."  It is not just a feeling, it is an active pursuit.  David seeks after the Lord with everything he has in him.  Do we?

Of the Lord...

Notice where David turns with this deep desire of his heart.  Whom does he ask to fulfill his request? He doesn't seek the counsel of esteemed Bible teachers or prophets.  He doesn't gather his wise men together for a discussion of how to increase the presence of the Lord in his life.  Rather, he goes directly to the One Who alone has the power to answer his request.  So often we seek pastors, sermons, books, and discipleship groups to give the answers that are found in Jesus Christ alone.  Even this past week, as I longed to have a greater awareness of His presence in my life, I was tempted to seek the help of godly men and women in our church, instead of falling on my face before God Himself and seek the answers that can only come from Him.  

That will I seek...

This is the part that the Lord still has so much to teach me.  How do we truly seek His face?  How does this go beyond merely a desire into action?  Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible, puts it this way:  How shall we seek that we may dwell in the house of the Lord forever? "By incessant prayer, until obtained; importunity and perseverance in prayer are the way to succeed, as appears from the parable of the widow and unjust judge."  Let us get on our knees before the God of heaven and incessantly pray for such a mindset--one set on the King of the universe.  Let us seek His face through prayer and scripture reading; let us seek until we find.  Know this: We serve a God who delights to pour Himself out upon us and show us Who He is.  But there is much that we must first learn through the process of waiting, and so, while you are waiting for the Lord to answer your cries, do not doubt.  Be patient.  Keep praying, keep seeking His face.  And know that one day, not far from now, He will come.  He will.  But first we must seek Him with our whole heart, leaving nothing behind.

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

This isn't the physical house of the Lord--heaven.  For in order that our spirits might dwell there, we must leave this earthly body behind (if we have believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, that is).  Instead, this line speaks of our hearts and minds dwelling in the temple of Almighty God.  Colossians 3:1-2 explains it best: "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."  This also follows with the concept of abiding in the Lord.  Much as a branch abides in the vine, so we ought to abide in Christ (John 15).  Although David may (and probably did) mean a physical house of the Lord, since Christ has appeared, we can now dwell in His holy temple, even while on this earth.  I love the way The Treasury of David puts it, "For the sake of communion with the King, David longed to dwell always in the palace; so far from being wearied with the services of the Tabernacle, he longed to be constantly engaged in them, as his lifelong pleasure. He desired above all things to be one of the household of God, a home-born child, living at home with his Father. This is our dearest wish, only we extend it to those days of our immortal life which have not yet dawned. We pine for our Father's house above, the home of our souls; if we may but dwell there for ever, we care but little for the goods or ills of this poor life."  This is a place where we continually abide in the Lord, communing continually with Him and lifting up never-ending praises to His name.

I will leave you to meditate on the last two beautiful lines on your own, but I pray that, as the Christmas season fills hearts and minds, that we would desire but one thing, that we may abide continually in the house of the Lord forever.