One thing have I desired...

    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)
    For the past two weeks, I have looked at Psalm 27, highlighting it as a Psalm about putting our trust in God, a God who is our light, salvation and strength. No matter what we come up against or what comes against us, we don’t have to worry because our God has our back and will fight for us.
    But it is in verse 4 that we see why David can speak so highly and confidently of his God. Plain and simple, David knew what it was like to spend time with Him. His desire was to seek His face, to get to know Him more intimately. He was not content with a religious, superficial experience, but a true relationship where he enjoyed being in the presence of His God and getting to know Him in a more intimate way. 
    I believe God has the same desire for us. He wants us to desire Him, to desire being in His presence. He wants us to seek Him because as we seek Him He can and will reveal Himself to us in powerful and mighty ways. And, when that level of intimacy is there, no matter what comes against us, we will truly NOT be afraid because we will be confident that He will take care of us. Trust will come easily and naturally and our God will be the first One we will run to without even thinking about it.
    This is the confidence that David had. In verse 5 he says: “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.” When trouble came, it was as if David knew what the outcome would be. The reality is, it is natural to be afraid because we are at times unsure of what the future may bring; we are unsure of how things would turn out. However, David’s attitude tells me that when your eyes and heart are focused on and entrenched in God, you will have no doubt that He will bring you through. David did not expect his God to fail … neither should we. As I love to say, He may not do things in the way we would like but He will work things out in His perfect way and timing. 
    The words “hide” and “secret” also tell us that God knows how to cover and protect His own in the midst of trouble. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us and He certainly knows how to keep us safe while we go through our storm. Remember the times the disciples faced various storms? They were afraid for their very lives, yet, because Jesus was with them they were safe. Even when He was asleep on a pillow in the boat with them, they were safe because the One who could calm the stormy seas was with them (Matthew 4:35-38). Similarly, the One who can protect and deliver you is with you. You are not alone. You are safe even while you go through your storm. God is hiding you in His secret place while the battle is raging around you. You may not be able to see or feel it, but His protection, His covering are there and believe me, you are safer than you think or feel.    
    And finally, David was able to say: And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me…” (v.6) Imagine, while you are surrounded by that situation, that trial, that storm, God is so taking care of you that what is surrounding you cannot keep you down - it cannot defeat you!!! What the enemy meant for evil God is actually working out for your good! You are victorious, you are not defeated! God is fighting for you, you shall overcome! And, like David, you can offer sacrifices of joy and you can sing praises unto God! (v.6b) You don’t have to wait for the storm or trial to end. You can praise God for the sure victory now because the victory comes from Him. It is still not about you or me … it’s all about Him and what He can and will do for you!
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. We all need a God who will cover and protect us as we go through life’s trials and storms. We cannot do this life alone. God is willing and more than able to guide us through trouble and to enable us to live victoriously even in the most challenging situations.

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