One Thing I Desrie

“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.” [1]

What a beautiful thought! To be with the Lord, near to Him, all the days of one’s life! To behold His beauty, and to speak with Him! Thoughts of seeing the Lord often come to me. Will it be today? Will it be tomorrow? How long before I am with Him where He dwells?

Then, I come down from these thoughts and back into this world that is filled with corruption.

What does God’s Word have to say about corruption? He urges us to avoid it.

“My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, ‘Come with us, let us lie in wait to shed blood; let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down to the Pit; we shall find all kinds of precious possessions, we shall fill our houses with spoil; cast in your lot among us, let us all have one purse’—my son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path; for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. Surely, in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird, but they lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk secretly for their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners.” [2]

Thieving and hurting others does not end well. God says that the perpetrator of such activities is destroying himself, not getting ahead.

The Lord in His mercy offers to each of us an off ramp. He says, “Turn at My rebuke; surely I will pour out My Spirit on you; I will make My Words known to you.” [3]

I know that this is true because I experience it. When I ask God to forgive me, He does. His Holy Spirit helps me to bear good fruit for God, for others and for myself.

The Lord does not punish us when we confess our sins to Him, He rejoices over us. Jesus said, “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” [4]

Praise the Lord! The Creator of creation loves us. He is for us! He wants us to be with Him. He doesn’t want us to end up in the pit of Sheol. God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” To be able say with Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” [5]

[1] Psalm 27:4
[2] Proverbs 1:10-19
[3] Proverbs 1:23
[4] Luke 15:7, 10
[5] 1 Timothy 2:4; Job 19:25-27