One Thing Will I Desire

I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple.
Psalm 27:4 HCSB

I swim several times a week for exercise. And while swimming my laps I enjoy using a waterproof iPod, which plays tracks from random messages by Martha and mixes them with some of my favorite songs. It’s a joy to swim with the accompaniment of music and teaching, and boy, does it help to pass the time.

The other day I heard a track from Martha’s message, “Required as Vital” from the Hearing God Series.* What a challenge! In it she spoke about King David and His desire for ONE thing. This was both provoking and encouraging to my heart. She reflected on how the world would see David’s one thing as a frivolous waste. Imagine just looking at the Lord and not producing?! Yet God will call us to this and it’s His desire for us to say yes.

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple.
Psalm 27:4 AMP

One Thing Will I Seek

David sought one thing from the Lord and pursued this ONE thing all of his life. Not riches, fame, position or human relationship, but ONE thing: to gaze upon the Lord in His presence. This was tested his entire life. He was put through the wringer to strengthen this resolve. If he had wanted position, he would’ve never survived the wilderness. If he had wanted affirmation from the authority in his life, Saul’s murderous pursuit and slander would have taken him under. If he had wanted power, he would’ve faltered at the betrayal of Absalom. His life challenges continually provided opportunity for his core desire to be made evident. And what he wanted above all things was to dwell in the House of the Lord and behold His beauty. And he did that.

This too is my desire from the Lord and I’ve been sorely tested on it. Recently I’ve even purposed to pray daily Psalm 27:4 and seek its fulfillment in my life. To seek ONE thing has been a constant challenge. All my dross of distractions continues to bubble up and I’m hoping they’re burning off. In these difficulties and diversions, I’m purposing to gaze upon the Lord as my highest value. What I’m learning is that this purifying fire is for the solidification of my desire, not the disproving of its validity.

To seek ONE thing above all others doesn’t mean you’re a worship slug or a Christian pew potato. It doesn’t give you a free pass from your responsibilities. No, to seek one thing above all others is to seek His face in all of life. He is everywhere and we are to look out for where He wants to manifest.

One Thing Above All

I am the living dwelling of the Lord and I am seeking the dynamic expression of His Life in my every moment. I’m gazing on Him, just as Jesus did, to see what the Father is doing so He can be that in me. Seeking ONE thing is the most responsible thing I can do. It’s elevating Him and His Life above all others, daily in my every moment. No, it’s not easy! But it is our urgent need. Requiring Him as vital is seeking Him as your ONE thing.

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.
John 5:19 NLT

*The Hearing God Series was originally an audio series. We turned it into booklets because the audio quality wasn’t great and we wanted these powerful messages to be available to all who wanted them.