One Thing: Dwelling

“One thing have I desired 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 behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4, KJV)

David had a relentless passion for the Lord. The more he felt threatened by his enemies the more he drew near to God. Over and over again he declared that the Lord was his refuge, strong tower and hiding place. After he was crowned king of Israel he brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem where it could be near him. In every way David sought to dwell in the house of the Lord, even when it meant bringing the house to him.

When we consider all that God gave David—a kingdom, fame, wealth, wives and children—it is significant that there was one thing he desired above the rest: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life. Clearly David valued this above all the other blessings he had received. Here he found beauty, glory, wisdom and grace. The Amplified Bible says, “To behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord.” This is where David wanted to “hang out”. Above all the wealth and opulence of his kingly courts, David took pleasure in His presence. There he could inquire of The Source of all wisdom and guidance. He could receive grace, truth and comfort in his time of need.

The physical house of the Lord was finally destroyed in 70 AD. So what is the house today? The Scripture tells us that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16). Whenever we come together in Jesus’ name He is here in our midst, and we can bask in His glorious presence. But individually we also are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and we can dwell in the house of the Lord by simply believing that He is with us. Do we share David’s passion for the presence of the Lord? Let us make our “one thing” to dwell in His house today!