I
just finished up two amazing weeks of work in class at the seminary and I was
reminded throughout those two weeks how much I love learning about God and
growing in His love. The way this particular doctorate degree program is set
up, the intensive class structure for each course doesn’t allow for much distraction
in terms of other life responsibilities. I know it sounds grueling but it was
actually a reprieve. I can share with you the obligations and responsibilities
of my life but many of them are probably the same as yours. Our attention is
often pulled in a hundred different directions at once. We have work and the
duty to provide for the needs of our family. We have school and the pressure to
fit in as well as the pressure to excel academically. We have sports and the
relentless desire to be the best. We have family and the struggle to maintain
and strengthen our most important relationships. We have friends and the
demands to be present to all those we value. You may have a spouse and the
promise you made to love and cherish them. You may have children and the
commitment to raise and nurture them into responsible, self-sufficient adults.
You have your personal possessions and desires and the constant drive to get
more and do more. Take a minute and think about your life and see if I’m not
right that many, maybe even most, of us contend with all of these things in our
life to some degree. Sadly, what we tend to do is sprinkle a little God in
there whenever it works out. Is it any wonder our lives are a frazzled mess?
While
all those things remained a part of my life during my two weeks in class, I had
to push them aside and focus on just One
Thing: God and my relationship with Him. I’ll be honest with you, it was
absolutely liberating! And you know what? The world did not stop spinning
because I took two weeks and focused on just One Thing. I know it seems strange coming from a pastor. You’re
probably thinking God should always be the One
Thing that is in the forefront of my life. And your right, it should be! But it isn’t always. As much
as I want to stay focused on the One
Thing that is most important in life, I often let the things of this world
distract me. It doesn’t happen all at once mind you. No, Satan is far too
clever for that. Instead, it’s a little thing here and a little thing there and
pretty soon the One Thing is just a
little thing that I’ll get around to eventually and life is suddenly out of
balance. If you’re like me, you find ourselves longing for that One Thing because you know when you
pursue that One Thing you’ll be in a
place where you are safe, where you can rest, where you become who God created
you to be.
Subject Text
Psalm 27:1-6
1The
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? 2When the wicked
advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble
and fall. 3Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though
war break out against me, even then I will be confident. 4One 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. 5For 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. 6Then 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.
Context
This beautiful
Psalm was probably written by David. Unfortunately, nothing in the Psalm gives
us a clue as to when it was written and what David’s circumstances may have been
that inspired him to write it. Therefore the best we can do is speculate that
David is on the run from his enemies and has been separated from the temple,
his family, and his friends. We know David experienced these events at various
points in his life when he was being pursued by King Saul who desperately
wanted to keep the throne from David and by Absalom who was desperate to take
the throne from David, his father. David was still very young when Saul was
trying to kill him and that experience certainly had to be frightening and
confusing since it was God who anointed David as king in Saul’s place yet God
had not removed Saul from the throne. However, being pursed by his son may have
been David’s darkest days. By that point, David was much older and, having
experienced many battles, was probably less fearful of death. Instead, David
was likely deeply hurt by the actions of his son and lonely because he had to
flee all the things that brought him joy—his family, his friends, his
possessions, etc. In response, David longs for the One Thing that can soothe his brokenness and loneliness; the One Thing that is ultimately the most
important thing.
Text Analysis
1The 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?
You
have to keep in mind that the Psalms are actually prayers so it’s not intended
to be narrative like much of the rest of the Bible. In v. 1, David is not so much telling us what he believes as he is reminding himself of what he believes as a source of comfort and confidence. All
of us at one point in our lives have been a prisoner of fear—fear of loss, fear
of rejection, fear of failure, fear of being misunderstood, fear of the future,
fear of sickness, and some even a paralyzing fear of death. “Yahweh is
described as the psalmist’s ‘light,’ ‘salvation,’ and ‘stronghold
of…life.’…these three terms provide nuances to the psalmist’s understanding of
Yahweh’s protective role. Yahweh is the illuminating light that vanquishes the
‘[deep] shadow of death’ (Ps 23:4) threatening the psalmist. The light marks
out the ‘paths of righteousness’ (cf. Ps 23:3; 25:4, 9), along which God leads the
faithful. Yahweh is also the life-saving stronghold that delivers the psalmist
from the attacks of his enemies. Because of that guidance and protection, he is
unafraid.”[1]
The opening verse of
our Subject Text is a great reminder
that we have nothing to fear in life because we have committed our lives to
Jesus, the Light of the world (Jn 8:12), the one who has saves us (Acts 4:12),
and protects us (Jn 17:12).
2When the wicked
advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and
fall. 3Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war
break out against me, even then I will be confident.
Some
of you who read that first verse may have been tempted to say, ‘Yeah but you
have no idea what I’m facing.’ To that, I say, you’re right I don’t know what
you’re facing or having to endure right now. However, God knows exactly what
you’re facing or enduring right now. Remember this a prayer to encourage us,
comfort us, and remind us that the God is able to overcome even our greatest
obstacles.
The language of vv. 2-3 conveys the idea that David
once faced a ruthless enemy that seemed unbeatable. However, with God’s help,
David’s former enemies were defeated. As a result, David can fearlessly face
any present or future enemy. I know it seems like this doesn’t apply to most of
us who aren’t facing any sort of military engagement (although I readily
acknowledge that some of you do, in fact, live in that reality every day). But
the principle is the same regardless of the battle you are facing—Cancer,
divorce, bankruptcy, unemployment, academic challenges, social challenges, addiction,
or even death, God is able to care for you either by helping you defeat your
personal demons and enemies or by giving you the strength to faithfully endure
the battle against them.
4One 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. 5For 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. 6Then 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.
Of
all the things David could have asked for in vv. 4-6 in the face of his enemies—he could have asked for greater
weapons, more men to fight by his side, greater strength, or that God would
simply grant him victory, instead he wants just One Thing: To constantly dwell in God’s presence. David knew that
everything else he could ask for would only be a temporary solution for an
immediate need. However, being in the presence of God provides a long-term
solution to all our current and future struggles. It is the One Thing that endures; the One Thing that overcomes every
obstacle. God knows that with His presence in our lives we will be more than
conquerors and that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither
present nor future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else
in all of creation will be able separate us from His protection, provision, and
love (Rom 8:38-39 paraphrase).
The
text says that David wanted to dwell in the house of the LORD and to seek Him
in His temple. You have to understand that ancient believers didn’t experience
God in the same way that we do. “C. S. Lewis has unusual sensitivity for what
is going on in statements like this (about David’s desire to ‘gaze upon the
beauty of the LORD…in his temple’)…He begins by acknowledging the way we
naturally distinguish between the forms of religion and the spiritual reality
behind it. We think of an awareness of God or of God’s qualities entirely apart
from the tangible elements of worship. But, says Lewis, for the ancients,
including the ancient Jews, religion was not like that. The tangible and the
intangible were not separated from them but rather were joined. They actually
seemed to experience God in the
temple. Thus their appetite for God was something to be satisfied almost
physically. [Let’s try to understand that experience in the context of the
Psalms.] ‘Their longing to go up to Jerusalem and “appear before the presence
of God” is like a physical thirst (Ps 42). From Jerusalem His presence flashes
out “in perfect beauty” (Ps 50:2). Lacking that encounter with Him, their souls
are parched like a waterless countryside (Ps. 63:2). They crave to be
“satisfied with the pleasures” of His house (Ps. 65:4). Only there can they be
at ease, like a bird in the nest (Ps. 84:3). One day of those “pleasures” is
better than a lifetime spent elsewhere (Ps 10).’”[2]
Application
For
all of David’s faults I have no doubt about his sincere desire to seek God’s
face and live his life in God’s presence. I know that for most people this is
their desire for one hour on Sunday mornings but what about all the other hours
and days of the week? How do we seek God’s face and fan the flame of desire to
spend forever in His house? For some of you it’s easy. You’re desperate. You’re
lives have been devastated by the death of someone close to you, by your own
failing health, by unemployment, by divorce, by addiction, by hatred and war.
For you, seeking God’s face and desiring to live in the comfort and protection
of his presence is all you have. But what about those of you who have no real
struggles to speak of in your life? You’re in perfect health. You’re happily
married with healthy children and enjoy the company of your family and friends
whenever you want. You live in relative peace and freedom. Your biggest
struggle is trying to decide if you should buy a bigger house, a nicer car, or
go on a more extravagant vacation. For you, it’s hard to imagine that you might
still be missing One Thing since you
seem to have everything already. Honestly, I think it is harder for you than
for those who suffer and have lost much and have no choice but to cling to that
One Thing because that One Thing is all they feel they have
left. How do you shift your focus to the One
Thing that is really the only thing that ultimately matters?
Let’s
stay with David for a minute as an illustration. Here was a man who had
everything—power as the king of the dominant nation in the land. He had
possessions that we can only imagine including an endless supply of gold,
silver, and bronze along with precious stones beyond belief. He lived in a
magnificent palace and moved from place to place in the finest chariot pulled
by the choicest horses in the world. He had at least eight wives that we know
of and he was beloved by the people. David wasn’t in need of a single thing. He
had it all. However, in the blink of an eye, when his son Absalom was
determined to take the throne from his father, David found himself alone and on
the run. Everything was gone—the power, the riches, the women, the “good life”
was gone. At his most desperate hour, what did David long for? It wasn’t the
return of all the things that we think define the “good life.” No, the One Thing David wanted was the One Thing that never changes and can
never be taken away—God and his relationship with Him. If you want to know how
to stay focused on the One Thing
that matters most in life, remember that all the things of this world; the
things you believe are so important in your life can vanish in an instant. Stop
right now and think about all the things of this world you believe are so
important in your life. What would you do if they were suddenly taken from you?
You know it can happen! What if it does? What will you long for? If you long to
have all those things back then you’ve lost your way; you’ve lost focus. If
instead, you sense a growing desire for just One Thing—God, then you can be confident that you will be able to
face any and all challenges in your life. Today I want to challenge you to try
something, whether you are sailing through life without a care or life is
crushing the life out of you, make a commitment that for today you will seek to
know and be present to One Thing—God
and His desire to be in a deep and abiding relationship with you! You can do
that in many ways but in the spirit of this lesson, I would like you to do that
by praying the first six verses of Psalm 27 with me. And then tomorrow, do it
again. And then keep doing that until the One
Thing becomes the only thing that you can say you honestly need in your
life and watch what happens.
Blessing
My friends, “The
LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be
gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” (Num
6:24-26)
(Audio version: Music--"One Thing" by: Hillsong Worship and "Better Is One Day" by: Passion)
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