Psalm 27:4
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.
In this Psalm, David identifies a priority in his life that is exemplified by the phrase “one thing.” Each and every one of us have to do the same and address what the “one thing” in our life is. For David, it was simply to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. That means no matter what trouble he faced or what difficult trial was in front of him, so long as he was in continual relationship with God, his life was secure. If our “one thing,” our priority, the thing that our lives revolve around is put in jeopardy, then the potential for our lives to spiral is great. With that truth in mind, it becomes ever important that our “one thing” is impervious to the circumstances and situations that life so often presents.
The trouble in our lives begins when we turn “good things” into our “one thing.” Your family is a “good thing,” but if you make it your “one thing,” if your family ever becomes jeopardized, your faith becomes jeopardized. Your car is a “good thing,” but once it becomes your “one thing,” a dent or a chip in the paint can turn your life upside-down. Your greatest fears are directly proportional to the vulnerability of your greatest joys. That means that whatever you love the most, whatever your “one thing” is, vulnerability of that particular thing will cause you to have fear that will rip you apart. If that thing shows signs of wear, starts ripping at the seams, and becomes threatened, then anxiety will likely prop up and you won’t be able to sleep at night. You won’t be able to focus on anything other than mitigating the potential threats to the “one thing” your life revolves around.
That’s why we need the revelation David had with regard to his “one thing.” His “one thing” meant that no matter what came his way, no matter what report he received, no matter what enemy came against him, no matter the outcome, he would remain resolute in the fact that he still remained covered by the presence of the Lord. We need to stand strong and put the presence of God at the center of our priorities. If Jesus is at the center of our lives, when storms begin to rage, the one who brings peace that surpasses our understanding can overpower the storm.
