Solely and Wholly

02.22.13

Psalm 27.4 4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,

    that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

    all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

    and to inquire in his temple. (ESV)

Just one thing: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing upon His beauty and asking Him questions about His life, my life, and how things are…

Dwelling in the house of the Lord is not going to church for the Lord doesn’t live in a church. The house of the Lord is the Temple of the Lord and according to Scripture, it’s my heart, not some structure. The house of the Lord is His presence: everywhere I go, everything I do being present with Him. Today at my job, I will dwell in the House of the Lord and He has said He will dwell in me.

That I may gaze upon His beauty. The Lord is beautiful. He is wondrous, He is majestic. The Lord is awesome and majestic and gazing upon Him arrests and corrects my attitudes. When I am looking upon Him, I am not concerning myself with stuff that isn’t necessary. I am too caught up in Who He is, and what He is about.

That I may inquire in His temple. Meeting with God is an opportunity to seek and to ask: Lord, why? But it is an opportunity also to say, Lord, speak…Your servant is listening. And inquiring of the Lord is an opportunity to seek on behalf of others. There are many out there going through tough times and it is my duty to seek the Lord on their behalf.

Being present in His temple is not merely a laundry list of all I need done or wish to have but more an affirmation that He has promised to meet my needs and His presence in the lives of others around me. Friends of the Lord hang out with Him and hanging out with Him means seeking and staying wherever He is… His presence.

This is a reminder to me of what is important: being with the Lord in all I do; and being conscious of the Lord’s listening in all I say. And forcing my mind to focus upon Him and standing against all those thoughts that are not important or productive.

It doesn’t matter who we are, what is happening to us, or what we find ourselves doing – focusing solely and wholly upon the Lord is our calling and the practice of His presence begins anew each day.

Father, may I find myself in You all the moments of this day! Amen.