“One Thing I Desire…” - Psalm 27 (Day 2)
Yesterday we began our journey through Psalm 27 where in a season of trouble, David begins by declaring God as his light, salvation, and stronghold. We saw how knowing God changes the way we respond to our circumstances and we reflected on the current battles facing each one of us. The enemy isn’t defeated in a day, our struggles carry on. They can at times leave our hearts heavy, so before we begin, I want to provide space for you to pray and share with God what’s on your mind and heart. Use this time to make the same declarations David did and declare your trust in Him.
I invite you to follow along in your Bible as we read Psalm 27 together. First, yesterday’s passage - verses 1-3:
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?
When the wicked advance against me to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
In today’s passage, verses 4-6, there is a shift in David’s focus from confident celebration to contemplation. As you read,, pay attention to what David desires above all else. David goes on to say…
One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.
Take a moment to reflect on what we just read quietly:
DWELL. GAZE. SEEK. What emotions or thoughts do these contemplative words stir within you?
For many of us, the concept of contemplation may feel like an unrealistic, unproductive exercise, especially in our chaotic, ever busy world. Similar to 1 Thessalonians 5:17 where the Apostle Paul urges us to “pray continually,” we don’t feel up for the task of contemplation. Not only are we pulled in a thousand different directions, but our scattered minds are attempting to focus on a thousand different things. Everything and everyone is vying for our attention and affection. Slowing down doesn’t get the kids to practice, pay the bills, or clean the house. God never gave us Scripture to leave us defeated, but to further out hope. So, what are we to do with what we just read?
“To seek” (v. 4) can also mean “to meditate.” It’s a callback to what we learned in the first week of our Summer Sabbath journey with Psalm 1. The person who finds themselves blessed is the one who meditates on the law of the Lord day and night. Have you ever thought about where you spend most of your time? What serves as a place of refuge and peace for you? More than likely, it’s your home. Maybe that’s why David uses a variety of words in Psalm 27 to describe places he seeks God’s presence and gains perspective: house, temple, dwelling, shelter, and tent. David isn’t calling us to leave the world behind and embrace the monastic lifestyle, he’s speaking about displaying a mindset and heartset inclined to God as we go about our day right where we are. Seeking, gazing, and dwelling can’t be done haphazardly or without intention - God can’t be a passing thought. We seek His face when we keep God at the forefront of our attention.
Take a moment and consider…WHAT IS DOMINATING YOUR THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW AND WHY?
Let’s read today’s passage slowly one more time through the lens of seeking, gazing, and dwelling with God not as a pressure-filled demand, but as a free invitation that allows us to face our circumstances with God as our focus:
One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.
When fear has us in its grasp, leaving us overwhelmed and downfallen, what happens to our heads? They drop and hang low, so we only see the mess in front of us. Our focus becomes solely on our struggle and not our Savior. The blessing of God's presence and seeking Him above else provides us with security and stability. Thinking about God will affect how we feel about everything else. It alters our perspective and how we view everything that comes our way. Notice how God lifts David's head above his enemies. He does the same for you and me if we let Him. We've spent too many of our days looking down in defeat. God invites us to look up to Him in victory - to see above our circumstances and recognize that He works all things for our good and His glory.
So, as we begin to wrap up our time together, we want to provide you some space to respond to what we read and maybe to what God is saying to you through Psalm 27. First, take a moment to process this question…WHERE DOES YOUR HEAD REMAIN DOWN IN DEFEAT?
Another question to consider is this…HOW CAN YOU SEEK GOD (HIS WORD AND HIS WAYS) AND ALLOW THAT ACT OF FAITH TO LIFT UP YOUR HEAD SO YOU CAN SEE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES DIFFERENTLY?
PRAYER
Father God,
We’re thankful for the gift of Your presence. It is here where we want to remain.
Help us to focus our eyes and align our hearts so that our gaze and our thoughts remain forever on You.
Let us put You above all else - knowing and trusting that the size of our problems pale in comparison to the size of our God.
Amen.