One thing I ask of the Lord
‘One thing I ask of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
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 seek him in His temple.’
Psalm 27:4
Much of our lives are spent being busy. Time is a valuable commodity and we are always taught to make the most of it, getting everything we can out of each moment. We are driven by goals and tick lists and we rely on schedule and agenda. It can often be the case that when we come to God we are much the same. Our time spent with God can follow a routine of praise, thanksgiving and then asking for certain things making sure we have fitted everything in we were meant to and said all that was intended. All these things are good. It is good and right to praise and thank God because He is good! He is worthy of all praise. We can thank Him endlessly for all the things He does in our lives. We are also told that we can come boldly before God and He will hear our prayers and provide our every need.
But there is something so precious in having relationship with God that doesn’t have to be prescribed. Recently I have experienced amazing times with God on my own as I have broken free from a mentality of fulfilling the criteria of what God needs to hear from me for it to be a good prayer and then remembering everything I need Him to do for me. God showed me a freedom in coming to Him in peace, in joy, in praise and with no agenda. I was no longer softening Him up with praise and thanks so that I didn’t feel so bad sharing all my problems with Him! Instead I was speaking in tongues, tuning my heart with His, praising Him seeking Hi s face for the sole reason I wanted to know my King and my Saviour in a deeper way. I then found myself having a hunger for reading the Word that I’d never experienced before. I would spend time during the day whenever I could just dwelling deeply in His presence. I didn’t always need to speak. I would just sit with my friend and enjoy His company.
This didn’t mean that situations wouldn’t come my way that were hard. They did and do. But when I sit and gaze at Jesus, everything pales into insignificance. I hold firm to the promise that God will provide my every need. I can live in the reality that ‘God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.’ Romans 8:28
Psalm 27 reveals a heart in David that I am passionate about. It is a heart that longs to see the face of God. The psalm talks about dwelling in the house of the lord, which means to live and have a home in the very presence of God. It then speaks of gazing at the beauty of the Lord. To gaze means to look for a long time with unwavering attention. And it then goes on to speak of seeking Him in His temple which means to go in search of God Himself. What an amazing life we lead as we can spend time making a home with God, just gazing at Him and searching the wonders of who He is.
Allow God to transform the time you spend with Him. Let this be the one thing your heart longs for above all else. As you spend your time enjoying Him, you will receive life and life to its fullest, joy, peace in abundance and a deeper revelation of your father, king and friend. What an awesome life we have been saved into.