One Thing

Last Sunday, the folks at the Well extended a gracious invitation for me to speak at their meeting. Having just concluded a Bible study on the life of King David, I used the platform as an opportunity to speak about his desire to seek the Lord from Psalm 27, specifically verse 4:

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.

As I continue to meditate upon this verse, I cannot help but to connect it to the scene in Luke 10, where Jesus is visiting his friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus.  As Martha is offering her services, she complains to the Master that her sister is doing little but sitting to listen to Him.  His response is quite surprising, as He tells Martha, “One thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken from her.”  In other words, Jesus affirms Mary’s (in)action as the response that He has been looking for.  No where else in the Gospels do we find Jesus using such strong language to describe someone’s actions in response to Him or something that He does.  All this in opposition to Martha’s request that something profitable be done.

In summary:

King David:  “One thing I seek….”

Jesus:  “One thing is needed….”

Gazing and listening.  Could it be that in the wisdom of God, this posture of receiving from Him could be much more important than anything that we could concoct to do for Him?

Highs & lows, Part 1

Currently, I’m studying the Life of David.  He has been portrayed to me in the past as a sort of manic, whose ups and downs are recorded in the book of the Psalms.  But interestinly enough, that view has been challenge (successfully) by a number of resources I’ve been consulting.  One in particular is Mike Bickle audio teachings “Studies in the Life of David.”  One particular session has caught my thoughts.  It concerns David’s core realities, which Bickle considers to be intimacy with God and meekness before men.

The interesting thing about David is, while he himself records his highs and lows, they are always directed toward the Lord.  Without fail, David continuously looks to God for solutions, never to his own abilities.  David celebrating victory.  David wondering about life.  David on the run.

We can either look at David as though he’s way too in touch with his emotions–like he needs some good medication and settle down for a moment to catch his breathe–or we can face ourself in his story.  It’s our wandering thoughts, our celebrations, our depression that we can see in this mighty king.  This king is someone we can relate to.  If we’re honest about ourselves.  With ourselves.

What I enjoy about David is that he’s not too far out there.  He’s no Paul (although when you look at Paul’s life, his highs and lows become more evident, he becoming more and more tangible to the imagination).  He’s his own man, living his own life.  From the pasture the palace, David is his own man in the making, being fashioned by God into the king who will go down in the history books as a man after God’s own heart.  But few details are spared in telling the David-story, I think because the Lord wanted to display someone we can relate to as we are searching out this life for meaning and for direction and for God.  David is definitley someone I can imagine myself emulating.  Or just hanging out with.