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Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Psalm 24-27
Romans 4:6-25

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Psalm 27:4 (CSB): “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.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

In Psalm 27, David was reflecting on the reality of his enemies and the protection of his Lord. So, life wasn’t easy, but he knew his God was watching over him.

It was in this difficult and restful place that the psalmist told us of one thing he desired to do.

Psalm 27:4 (CSB): “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.”

In the difficulties of life, when David’s life was on the line, he had experienced God’s intervention time and again. And this caused the psalmist to experience God’s love for him. It was only natural that he wanted to spend time with and enjoy the presence of his wonderful, powerful, loving God.

This theme isn’t merely an experience tucked away in the Old Testament. It shows up repeatedly, especially in the book of Psalms. But it also shows up in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul had experienced God’s love for Him, and it caused him to want to know and experience the presence of his God even more.

Romans 8:35-39 (CSB): “Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Philippians 3:7-8, 10 (CSB): “But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ … My goal is to know him …”

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to give you a greater longing for Him. Ask Him to cause you to long to delight in the presence of the God who loves you so much.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into what Psalm 27:4 means, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What does the psalmist mean in Psalm 27:4 when he says, ‘One thing I have asked of the Lord’?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)