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Jacob's Blog
 Hello and welcome to my personal blog page called "faith lounge". Unlike my official ministry website, this is just a place for me to share my most current thoughts.
One Thing
The psalmist David said, “One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4)
Jesus told Martha, who was worried and troubled about many things, “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42)
Life is unpredictable, and sometimes a little crazy. It’s amazing how quickly your plate can fill up with responsibilities, errands, chores, business and yes—problems. To date, I’ve yet to meet a man or woman who is immune to problems. I’ve yet to encounter a problem-free person. The main difference between people is how they handle them.
The two verses I noted in the beginning were written ages apart, but share a common thread in life. The psalmist David penned the first as a declaration of faith. Jesus uttered the second scripture in response to Martha’s busyness and fatigue. Both instances include the words “one thing” with regards to the presence of God. In this article, we’ll look at David’s words.
To fully chew and shallow what David said in Psalm 27:4, you have to look at what he wrote before. He said, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.” (Psalm 27:1-3).
David’s desire for “one thing”—God’s presence—opened up four secrets about God. When you stop what you’re doing and pour yourself into “one thing”, you too will discover these secrets:
1. The Lord is my Light – When you walk in darkness, you can easily trip and hurt yourself over things that shouldn’t have the power to impact you. But because you’re in darkness, you can’t fully guard yourself against danger. When the Lord is your light, however, He illuminates your path. Subtle dips and bumps in the road won’t cause you to lose your balance. Light represents revelation, clear understanding and focus. When God’s light is shining in your life, you have nothing to fear.
2. The Lord is my Salvation – David realized that no matter what he got himself into, or what ensnared him, there was always an escape route. No conflict was too strenuous. No pain was too deep. No situation too impossible for God to resolve. God’s people were slaves to Egypt for generations until one day God decided it was time to deliver them. That’s when he summoned Moses to stand before Pharaoh and say, “Let my people go”. God is a God of deliverance. The Lord didn’t just save us on the Cross; He saves us everyday by removing the shackles of the enemy and untangling the issues that often strap us down.
3. The Lord is my Strength – David understood that God was the source of his strength, the power-line to his life. This is simply recognizing that you cannot do it all on your own. You are not super-man or super-woman. You, like every one else, are a limited resource. Whatever amount of strength and vigor you have will eventually dry up. But God’s strength is flawless and limitless. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” In other words, God’s grace is plenty, and his strength is realized in times of weakness and difficulty.
4. The Lord is Beautiful – David said that when he gets into the temple, he’s able to “behold the beauty of the LORD”. When your heart is focused on “one thing”, you can behold the beauty of God, even in ugly circumstances. Sometimes, the problems of life pollute our perception about God and his goodness. His will doesn’t always make sense. But when your life is positioned in his presence, you can find the beauty of his sovereignty and supreme love. You can smile in places where others frown, laugh where others cry.
Once David discovered the power of “one thing”—God’s presence, he could (1) recognize God’s light, (2) receive God’s deliverance, (3) rest in God’s strength, and (4) realize God’s beauty. How about you?
Perhaps life has cluttered your heart with uninvited worries. Maybe you find yourself consumed with fear, emotionally drained or perhaps just tired. Maybe you’re trying to do too much, too soon. Maybe you’ve placed unrealistic expectations on yourself, which have sapped your strength. Or, perhaps you’ve got yourself tied up with too many things, and now it’s time to refocus your heart.
If so, it’s time to rediscover the value of “one thing”. Immerse yourself in God’s presence today. Talk to the Lord and wait upon him.
Another FaithLounge blog by Jacob M. Rodriguez
TrueTouch Ministries
www.truetouch.org
posted by Jacob Rodriguez at Monday, August 11, 2008
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