Psalm 27:4 “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,”
[When David wrote this, he was thinking of the tabernacle in Jerusalem. Today this request has come true for every believer because we have each become a temple of God (1 Cor. 6:19) and the Holy Spirit lives in us. That is part of the wonder of being your children, Lord: we are ever with you. And as we are with we you call us]
“to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.”
[This takes intentionality, it takes focus, surrender and discipline—I must turn my eyes from the distractions of my desires, of the world’s offers and look instead to you.
I praise you, Lord Jesus, that you have led me to begin learning to gaze upon your beauty in personal worship. In that you are teaching me to see your greatness, your power, your wisdom, your grace, your wrath against sin, your mighty love demonstrated in redeeming your rebellious creatures, and your great patience in working in us to bring us to maturity in you.
In teaching me to worship, you are helping me to give you the glory and honor which is due your name for your wonderful greatness. Then when trouble comes, I can reject my natural tendency to first seek solutions on my own, or from those around me. Instead I can, as my first move, seek you, the only One who can help in every difficulty. More than that, you are the One who delights in helping us in exactly the way we need.
Forgive me for my independent attitude; help me to be fully dependent on you instead.
Thank you, Lord, for all that you are, and for revealing some of it to us–breaking into our lives and dwelling with us, even though we deserve only rejection and punishment. Help us to continually “gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple,” praising you, the Great and Glorious One who stoops down to see and help us in our weakness and need.]
