What's the little blinking light?
Focusing on 1 goal
Focus: noun.
- A central point. The main thing.
- the focal point of a lens.
What is the focal point of your worldview right now?
I had such a cranky day. But I felt very comfortable in being mad or irritated. It was almost too easy I didn't think I needed to battle anything, nor did I have a desire to. Because my feelings of anger or irritation were strong, so it would be harder to fight against those feelings and easier to just ride them. But of course, I knew somewhere deep within me that I was not walking in the Spirit of God. That little bit of truth in me was like the smoke detector light that blinks on your ceiling at night. It's there but it's not very bothersome or loud. But if you stare at it long enough, you'll begin focusing on it.
So I started to focus my eyes on that light of truth while I was feeling very comfortable just remaining as I was. And it lead me to Philippians 2:3-4
Focus is to:
“Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.”
Philippians 2:3
Focus is to:
“...look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Philippians 2:4
Focus helps us achieve a goal, right?
My focus was me...yet God was reminding me that my focus was OFF. In order to recalibrate my focus on my main goal, I needed to consider others as more important than myself. And to be concerned about my interests as well as the interests of others. That's when I could more clearly see that my bad attitude came from a focus on me, myself, and I.
“The Lord said to Samuel,
"How long are you going to...
(mourn for Saul),
since I have rejected him as king over Israel?
Fill your horn with oil and go.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected a king from his sons.”
1 Samuel 16:1
I read this for sermon prep (cuz we are studying 1 Samuel) and this first verse just hit me. How long am I gonna remain unhappy about something that happened?
This morning a ton of things just didn't go as planned, and happened differently, and I was stuck there. And God asked me, like He asked Samuel, "how long are you gonna dwell on that?"
Basically, showing me that I had forgotten I live to do His will, and God is always having His way. He's in every detail. My response revealed my heart, and I was basically telling God I could do a better plan. I'm just humbled and thankful that the small light kept blinking and led me back to an attitude that produces life instead of death in me.
Thanks for letting me share as a way of processing and solidifying what happened to me today. I pray everyone gets back on track, focusing on our 1 goal: glorifying God in being satisfied in Him no matter what happens circumstantially or emotionally.
Love,
Jmegrey
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Let those with ears HEAR!
Good morning spiritual family,
Listen carefully:
And He told this parable:
"A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none.
He told the vineyard worker,
'Listen, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any.
Cut it down!
Why should it even waste the soil? ’
But he replied to him,
'Sir, leave it this year also,
until I dig around it and fertilize it.”
Luke 13:6-8
This is our year. Right now. We have received fertilization in our hearts because we believed in Jesus.
When the fig tree wasn't producing fruit a mediator stepped in and said let me do something with it (fertilize it) and if it still does not produce fruit then by natural reasoning let it be cut down (what's the point of a fig tree that does not produce figs? Answer: no point at all.)
How many of us have received the fertilization of the Spirit of God in our hearts and are cooperating with Christ in us to produce the fruits of the Spirit? (Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control.)
We, like the fig tree, were made to image our God. That is our point in life, to point to God. Without our point we become...yes...pointless.
God is always doing something in us and around us for the purpose of helping us bear this good fruit. To be fertile is not the same thing as producing fruit. If fertilized soil never implants a seed or receives water then it had an opportunity to produce fruit yet did not. Yet without being fertilized no seed or water received could ever grow. So Christ has died to give us the fertilization in our hearts, and it is our job to do with that what we can. Now what can we do? Or what are we supposed to do? This is also an important question.
“Then the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig; I’m ashamed to beg.”
Luke 16:3
The parable of the shrewd steward reminds us to think realistically. What CAN WE do?! Well, it has less to do with doing things, and more to do with having a heart of desperation. The answer is, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES.
This is a matter of life and death. If we waste what Jesus died to give us, we only waste our own lives. There is life for those who know how precious the blood of Jesus truly is because we were all once on our way to death, and Jesus stepped in and gave us a new opportunity. Now we may not feel strong enough or bold enough, but there is always something available for those who desperately seek to lay hold of what Jesus has given them!
Let those who have ears hear!
Love you guys.
Listen carefully:
And He told this parable:
"A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none.
He told the vineyard worker,
'Listen, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any.
Cut it down!
Why should it even waste the soil? ’
But he replied to him,
'Sir, leave it this year also,
until I dig around it and fertilize it.”
Luke 13:6-8
This is our year. Right now. We have received fertilization in our hearts because we believed in Jesus.
When the fig tree wasn't producing fruit a mediator stepped in and said let me do something with it (fertilize it) and if it still does not produce fruit then by natural reasoning let it be cut down (what's the point of a fig tree that does not produce figs? Answer: no point at all.)
How many of us have received the fertilization of the Spirit of God in our hearts and are cooperating with Christ in us to produce the fruits of the Spirit? (Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control.)
We, like the fig tree, were made to image our God. That is our point in life, to point to God. Without our point we become...yes...pointless.
God is always doing something in us and around us for the purpose of helping us bear this good fruit. To be fertile is not the same thing as producing fruit. If fertilized soil never implants a seed or receives water then it had an opportunity to produce fruit yet did not. Yet without being fertilized no seed or water received could ever grow. So Christ has died to give us the fertilization in our hearts, and it is our job to do with that what we can. Now what can we do? Or what are we supposed to do? This is also an important question.
“Then the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig; I’m ashamed to beg.”
Luke 16:3
The parable of the shrewd steward reminds us to think realistically. What CAN WE do?! Well, it has less to do with doing things, and more to do with having a heart of desperation. The answer is, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES.
This is a matter of life and death. If we waste what Jesus died to give us, we only waste our own lives. There is life for those who know how precious the blood of Jesus truly is because we were all once on our way to death, and Jesus stepped in and gave us a new opportunity. Now we may not feel strong enough or bold enough, but there is always something available for those who desperately seek to lay hold of what Jesus has given them!
Let those who have ears hear!
Love you guys.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
The room of Longing
Looking out the window wondering what need do I have that I could focus on as a means of finding my passionate need for God? I want to be real and relatable.
But I realized I had no urgent needs.
I felt so settled. So well. So peaceful.
But within all of that, my circumstances, my feelings, I could sense the reality deep within me that I had this longing.
A longing for something that nothing in this life could give me, because as I sat there thinking about what need I could speak on to encourage you guys, a need I myself also needed so that I wasn't just saying things but also feeling and living them...I found only a quiet longing.
At first it felt like a problem.
Longing is usually associated with lack:
I long to be loved!
I long for that new dress!
I long to be married!
I long for my child to succeed in life!
I long to be liked by others!
I long to not lose any good thing I have!
I long to be skinny!
I long to be wealthy!
I long long long for what I lack lack lack!
Immediate Or ASAP Change is wanted to get rid of our longing in these areas.
But I want to re-model our minds for a room where longing can stay until Christ comes. A room where when we step in, we don't ask for immediate or ASAP change, but we sit in the longing remembering that this longing in us is producing our ever deepening loving. Because in this room of longing we long for Christ's return, to make all things new, and to restore everything that sin sought to destroy. In this room we are like peasants who, having been adopted by the King, are waiting to be shown our inheritance. This longing is anticipation. This longing is confident hope already received. Here in the room of longing is also a well of love from which we can draw water for our thirsty souls.
- Re-mind, re-new, re-start, re-boot, re-calibrate, re-fresh, re-gain, re-pair, re-take, re-ceive you!
- Godly confidence
- The Longing
--------—--------—--------—--------—-------
Point 1: Re-call, re-mind, and re-new you!
Don't throw away what Jesus died to give you!
Recall the former days when,
after you were enlightened,
you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,
sometimes being publicly exposed
to reproach and affliction,
and sometimes being partners
with those so treated.
For you had compassion
on those in prison,
and you joyfully accepted
the plundering of your property,
since you knew
that you yourselves
had a better possession
and an abiding one.
Therefore do not throw away
your confidence,
which has a great reward.
(Hebrews 10:32–35)
--------—--------—--------—--------—------
Point 2: What's godly confidence?
Confidence is to be mostly sure, convinced, persuaded of what is correct!
We all want to try and get people to think we are confident, we try to convince ourselves the most. Everyone here is trying to be right, because being right is right and being wrong is wrong.
Now their right could be wrong and your wrong could be right, but the point is that when it comes to God right is right and wrong is wrong regardless of opinions and preferences.
The opposite of being right is what?
Being wrong.
Who loves being wrong?
Being corrected?
Being viewed as problematic?
To throw away this godly confidence is to throw away what's right in exchange for what is wrong in the eyes of the one true Judge.
Fear of God is knowing He is the true Judge.
That what the Judge says, no matter what any other convincing sight or feeling may try to persuade you otherwise, is. That God--above any other powerful factor is--still more powerful.
Examples: Saul and Jonathan. (1 Sam. 13-14)
It's not just knowing, it's believing
and believing naturally produces feeling.
Satan knows all the right facts about God, but he feels all the wrong feelings for God because he doesn't believe God is right.
Our confidence is that God is right.
Our confidence is that God is wiser!
Our confidence is that God is better!
Our confidence is that God is good!
Our confidence is that God loves us!
Our confidence is that God is in control!
That's correct! That's right!
Confidence comes from knowing God through His Word, and believing Him by the evidence of our feelings.
So to throw away your confidence is to look at anything or anyone other than God for the feeling of being safe from what is wrong.
Looking at your friend's loyalty.
Looking at your spouses attitude.
Looking at your bank account.
Looking in the mirror at yourself.
Looking at snubs, lack of invitations, or even your awards and high levels of comfort.
If these are what give you your confidence (feeling) then you are throwing away your God-given confidence!
And when the day arrives that you feel hopeless or so low, it will only serve to humbly remind you that right is right and wrong is wrong. And hopefully you will turn to reclaim your true confidence by letting go of your idea of right and wrong and taking up God's Word for it.
Denying your self.
Crucifying the flesh.
Taking off the old and putting on the new.
You were once wrong, but now you have an opportunity to receive mercy and forgiveness because of Christ and be given all rightness, all His righteousness. The righteousness of God! The rightness of God!
That God is right and you are wrong.
How do we access or open our hearts for God to fill us with this confidence?
Preparing your minds for action
The loins of your mind need to FIRST be girded!
They wore longer flowing robes, so to help them move more quickly without clutter or hindrance they would gird their loins by lifting up their robes and making it easier to run!
- gird (up) one's loins, to prepare oneself for something requiring readiness, strength, or endurance: He girded his loins to face his competitor.
Gird the loins of your mind!
Declutter! To make ready!
Which means a cluttered mind is unfit for a godly confidence.
Some of us have cluttered minds, worries take up residence in our minds and like the philistine garrisons they lead our lives into fear and cowardice. Until someone like Jonathan with the fear of God goes into those garrisons and takes them down with just his arms bearer!
You got a brain, use it for what it's made for: HOPE fully in God.
“Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 1:13
The mind is given for the sake of the heart.
The mind is given to you to serve your emotions!
Life is indeed about our emotions. The pursuit of happiness.
What then is the brain for?
According to God who made our brains it's purpose and function for being girded up, and being sober, so that we would hope.
What is the brain supposed to do?
Study 1 Peter with all your might, dig into it, chew on it, wrestle with its meaning, and rehearse it day and night until the mind is now ready for action to lead your emotions.
The volume of your inner thoughts are what drive your feelings. What are you harboring within yourself that is producing in you a feeling of anxiety, stress, worry, or apathy?? Or what are you taking into the inner room that is speaking words producing life, peace, love and inexpressible joy?
What music and lyrics is on replay in your mind?
What visuals keep taking up space in front of you?
What words or thoughts are you letting occupy the land of your mind?
When we declutter and gird the loins of our mind for godly confidence...
Then comes the experience of longing.
--
Point 3: Longing
Now that your confidence is no longer in anything but God, you find yourself in the room of longing. Where once your confidence was in beauty you found yourself at the gym, in front of the mirror, at the mall, or at the dermatologist--but now you find yourself most present in the room of longing.
Where once your confidence was in your manhood you found yourself at work, at the bank, at being respected--but now you find yourself most settled in the room of longing.
“You love Him,
though you have not seen Him.
And though not seeing Him now,
you believe in Him and rejoice
with inexpressible and glorious joy,”
1 Peter 1:8
----------------------------------
Opening exercise: only works if you're honest.
- Write down a list of everything you have, but don't deserve.
- And all you deserve, but don't have.
...now show your neighbor, what do you think they think of your perspective?
Jmegrey
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Fear of God vs. fear of anything else
“May they (our destroyers) know that You alone — whose name is Yahweh — are the Most High over all the earth.”
Psalms 83:18
“How can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.”
Matthew 12:29
Who or what is stronger in your life? When is your peace most depleted? Is it when your finances are low? Is it when someone rejects you? Is it when you wake up with a huge zit on your face? Who or what most threatens your peace? The stronger man will always win. Whatever is most strong in us will win over our fear.
Good morning spiritual and eternal family!
Last Sunday we talked about what the fear of God is. King Saul feared the people more than he feared God, and that's why he couldn't wait much longer for God's timing and often took matters into his own hands (1 Sam 13:11-12).
“and Samuel asked, “What have you done? ” Saul answered, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn’t come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, I thought: The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought the Lord’s favor.
So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.”
1 Samuel 13:11-12
He was a self-preserver.
He couldn't wait on God's timing to handle his dire situation, because his fear of losing to the philistines was greater than his fear of God.
Saul's fear of man moved his will to act disobediently to God, because fear always dictates actions. The stronger fear will be your master. If you fear God then your fear will be one of deep awe as you take refuge in Him amidst the craziness and watch God fight all your battles in victory. But if you fear anything else more than God you will be like one trying to grasp oil in their hands...always on the move to survive and never finding rest.
Jonathan however, did not fear people, but asked that God would give him the red or green light when attacking the philistine garrisons with just his armor bearer.
“Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men.
Perhaps the Lord will help us.
Nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”
1 Samuel 14:6
"Perhaps the Lord will help us!"
What a heart! To not even be sure, but to go anyway with hope! That's the kind of deep awe of God Jonathan had to even think to do such a crazy thing! To put himself at risk!
Two people against a whole garrison is crazy (not to mention they had to climb down and up a steep and rocky cliff!) unless you fear God more than your odds or chances based on what you see. King Saul failed where Jonathan succeeded in the area of having a fear of God.
That same fear of God is why Jonathan could give up his inheritance as the next King to David and become one of David's biggest supporters! Only someone who had a deep and registered awe of God could relinquish so much of what might have been his in the HOPES of doing what God wanted more.
When we consider Saul and Jonathan and their fears (Saul fearing man, Jonathan fearing God) we can see that these two men lived very different kinds of lives. Even though they were father and son, they were nothing alike. The fear they each had made the difference for the way they made decisions. Appearance wise they were the same family, but inwardly they were two completely different kinds of people.
People look at appearances, but God examines the heart. Do a quick heart check today and consider who or what you fear most?
If you don't know then let your emotions, actions and thoughts reveal it to you as you observe them throughout the day. And continually renew and realign your heart to fear God.
Jmegrey
Psalms 83:18
“How can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.”
Matthew 12:29
Who or what is stronger in your life? When is your peace most depleted? Is it when your finances are low? Is it when someone rejects you? Is it when you wake up with a huge zit on your face? Who or what most threatens your peace? The stronger man will always win. Whatever is most strong in us will win over our fear.
Good morning spiritual and eternal family!
Last Sunday we talked about what the fear of God is. King Saul feared the people more than he feared God, and that's why he couldn't wait much longer for God's timing and often took matters into his own hands (1 Sam 13:11-12).
“and Samuel asked, “What have you done? ” Saul answered, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn’t come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, I thought: The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought the Lord’s favor.
So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.”
1 Samuel 13:11-12
He was a self-preserver.
He couldn't wait on God's timing to handle his dire situation, because his fear of losing to the philistines was greater than his fear of God.
Saul's fear of man moved his will to act disobediently to God, because fear always dictates actions. The stronger fear will be your master. If you fear God then your fear will be one of deep awe as you take refuge in Him amidst the craziness and watch God fight all your battles in victory. But if you fear anything else more than God you will be like one trying to grasp oil in their hands...always on the move to survive and never finding rest.
Jonathan however, did not fear people, but asked that God would give him the red or green light when attacking the philistine garrisons with just his armor bearer.
“Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men.
Perhaps the Lord will help us.
Nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”
1 Samuel 14:6
"Perhaps the Lord will help us!"
What a heart! To not even be sure, but to go anyway with hope! That's the kind of deep awe of God Jonathan had to even think to do such a crazy thing! To put himself at risk!
Two people against a whole garrison is crazy (not to mention they had to climb down and up a steep and rocky cliff!) unless you fear God more than your odds or chances based on what you see. King Saul failed where Jonathan succeeded in the area of having a fear of God.
That same fear of God is why Jonathan could give up his inheritance as the next King to David and become one of David's biggest supporters! Only someone who had a deep and registered awe of God could relinquish so much of what might have been his in the HOPES of doing what God wanted more.
When we consider Saul and Jonathan and their fears (Saul fearing man, Jonathan fearing God) we can see that these two men lived very different kinds of lives. Even though they were father and son, they were nothing alike. The fear they each had made the difference for the way they made decisions. Appearance wise they were the same family, but inwardly they were two completely different kinds of people.
People look at appearances, but God examines the heart. Do a quick heart check today and consider who or what you fear most?
If you don't know then let your emotions, actions and thoughts reveal it to you as you observe them throughout the day. And continually renew and realign your heart to fear God.
Jmegrey
Friday, September 15, 2017
Return to your one thing today: knowing God
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the whole earth.
He never grows faint or weary;
there is no limit to His understanding.
He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless.
Youths may faint and grow weary,
and young men stumble and fall,
but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength;
they will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary;
they will walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:28-31
“Do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you; I will help you;
I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
Needing to remember that God is my life, and what I see now both good and bad are more or less temporary illusions.
One thing is for sure, God is with us.
If He's with us what could dare come up against us? (Romans 8:31)
When I fail or ruin something (which I do frequently), I'm still with God.
When someone fails or ruins me, I'm still with God.
When money fails, I'm still with God.
When relationships fail, I'm still with God.
When my emotions bring me low, I'm still with God.
Even in the pit of my mistakes, I'm still with God.
In sickness and in health, I'm still with God.
In life or in death, I'm still with God.
In loss of this or wreck of that, I'm still with God.
We lose and we gain, we feel great and we feel terrible, it's our fault or it's not our fault...doesn't really matter.
What matters most is that today we are all being given opportunities to know God more deeply.
--
--
Blog I read today:
One Thing I Ask
Psalm 27:4 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.
▪️David was called “a man after God’s own heart.” Although David could have wanted many things (victory over his enemies, the crown on his head), we see him relentlessly return his focus to God. David sought God more than any earthly treasure.
One Thing You Lack
Mark 10:21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
▪️The rich young ruler claimed to be righteous, but he is unwilling to give Jesus the one thing He asked for: himself. The rich young ruler was willing to impress Jesus with his track record, but he was unwilling to surrender his status.
One Thing is Necessary
Luke 10:41-42 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
▪️One day Martha had an unexpected houseguest—the Son of God. While she toils over a meal for Jesus and twelve other men, Mary sits at Jesus’ feet. Jesus responds to her complaint by saying, “You are anxious and troubled with much serving.” Martha was so focused on doing a good thing that she missed out on the best thing.
One Thing I Know
John 9:25 He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
▪️A man born blind is healed by Jesus. When interrogated by the religious leaders, he doesn’t present a well-prepared speech or get intimidated. He simply tells his story: He was blind, but now he sees. In response, Jesus declares the blind man seeing and the religious leaders blind.
One Thing I Do
Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
▪️The apostle Paul didn’t let the baggage of his past dictate his goal. He was focused. He knew his goal, and he wasn’t going to waver. This Pharisee of Pharisees, who had everything going for him, laid down his life to follow Jesus.
5 Verses, 1 Lesson
These five verses highlight five different people from five different walks of life, yet each point to the same lesson:
* David: Knowing God is at the heart of prayer.
* Rich young ruler: Knowing God is at the heart of surrender.
* Martha: Knowing God is at the heart of service.
* Blind man: Knowing God is at the heart of witness.
* Paul: Knowing God is at the heart of ambition.
In summary, the lesson is this: Our lives are to be singularly focused on Jesus.
Each story is about not being distracted—by aims or money or serving or fear or our past—but being completely centered on Jesus. When we strain to follow Him, our hearts are filled with joy and purpose and love. When we fix our eyes on Him, we receive the one thing our souls truly long for: Himself. (By Camden McAfee)
the Creator of the whole earth.
He never grows faint or weary;
there is no limit to His understanding.
He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless.
Youths may faint and grow weary,
and young men stumble and fall,
but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength;
they will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary;
they will walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:28-31
“Do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you; I will help you;
I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
Needing to remember that God is my life, and what I see now both good and bad are more or less temporary illusions.
One thing is for sure, God is with us.
If He's with us what could dare come up against us? (Romans 8:31)
When I fail or ruin something (which I do frequently), I'm still with God.
When someone fails or ruins me, I'm still with God.
When money fails, I'm still with God.
When relationships fail, I'm still with God.
When my emotions bring me low, I'm still with God.
Even in the pit of my mistakes, I'm still with God.
In sickness and in health, I'm still with God.
In life or in death, I'm still with God.
In loss of this or wreck of that, I'm still with God.
We lose and we gain, we feel great and we feel terrible, it's our fault or it's not our fault...doesn't really matter.
What matters most is that today we are all being given opportunities to know God more deeply.
--
--
Blog I read today:
One Thing I Ask
Psalm 27:4 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.
▪️David was called “a man after God’s own heart.” Although David could have wanted many things (victory over his enemies, the crown on his head), we see him relentlessly return his focus to God. David sought God more than any earthly treasure.
One Thing You Lack
Mark 10:21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
▪️The rich young ruler claimed to be righteous, but he is unwilling to give Jesus the one thing He asked for: himself. The rich young ruler was willing to impress Jesus with his track record, but he was unwilling to surrender his status.
One Thing is Necessary
Luke 10:41-42 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
▪️One day Martha had an unexpected houseguest—the Son of God. While she toils over a meal for Jesus and twelve other men, Mary sits at Jesus’ feet. Jesus responds to her complaint by saying, “You are anxious and troubled with much serving.” Martha was so focused on doing a good thing that she missed out on the best thing.
One Thing I Know
John 9:25 He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
▪️A man born blind is healed by Jesus. When interrogated by the religious leaders, he doesn’t present a well-prepared speech or get intimidated. He simply tells his story: He was blind, but now he sees. In response, Jesus declares the blind man seeing and the religious leaders blind.
One Thing I Do
Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
▪️The apostle Paul didn’t let the baggage of his past dictate his goal. He was focused. He knew his goal, and he wasn’t going to waver. This Pharisee of Pharisees, who had everything going for him, laid down his life to follow Jesus.
5 Verses, 1 Lesson
These five verses highlight five different people from five different walks of life, yet each point to the same lesson:
* David: Knowing God is at the heart of prayer.
* Rich young ruler: Knowing God is at the heart of surrender.
* Martha: Knowing God is at the heart of service.
* Blind man: Knowing God is at the heart of witness.
* Paul: Knowing God is at the heart of ambition.
In summary, the lesson is this: Our lives are to be singularly focused on Jesus.
Each story is about not being distracted—by aims or money or serving or fear or our past—but being completely centered on Jesus. When we strain to follow Him, our hearts are filled with joy and purpose and love. When we fix our eyes on Him, we receive the one thing our souls truly long for: Himself. (By Camden McAfee)
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