4 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.
5 for 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. – [psalm 27:4-5]
one thing I have asked
if you could ask the Lord for one thing, what would it be?
peace? health? wealth?
if we were to narrow down our list of ‘wants’ to just one, what would be that one?
this psalm of david presents an answer to that question, and then provides a reason for his request – one that supersedes the temporary and looks towards the eternal. he seeks the God who protects him and lifts him “high upon a rock”.
david writes that the one thing he asks for is to be continually in the Lord’s presence. this is the one thing that he will ‘seek after’. he is not just praying aimlessly, but actively pursuing this prayer. clearly, david prayed for many other things throughout his life, including safety for his flocks and victory in battle. but this one prayer, this one purpose, is the one around all the rest of them resolve.
in fact, david makes clear that one reason he asks to be in the Lord’s presence is to continue asking him more questions, to “inquire in his temple”. he seeks the Lord’s wisdom on everyday topics. to know his heart and to seek his wisdom firsthand.
fortunately for us we have the words of scripture to guide us.
we have firsthand testimony of those who sat and learned at the feet of Jesus, and can learn from them at any time.
we are promised that God hears and responds to our prayer, and we can follow the pattern of david in praying this very psalm. He will answer with allowing us to understand the joy that comes when we are in his presence.
~ jason soroski