Happy Monday, friends! Last week I had you focus on the passage from Psalm 27:4 listed below in several translations. I want you to slowly read this verse again (Yes, in all three translations.) and allow it to seep into the crevices of heart and mind.
ESV
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 inquirein his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.
The Message
I’m asking God for one thing, only one thing: to live with him in his house my whole life long. I’ll contemplate his beauty; I’ll study at his feet. That’s the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, the perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic.
The Voice
I am pleading with the Eternal for this one thing, my soul’s desire:to live with Him all of my days—in the shadow of His temple, to behold His beauty and ponder His ways in the company of His people. His house is my shelter and secret retreat. It is there I find peace in the midst of storm and turmoil. Safety sits with me in the hiding place of God. He will set me on a rock, high above the fray.
I hope you focused on your “one thing”this week and that your one thing became an invitation for you to come to God often in prayer. This week we will look at the next phrase which is …I asked of the LORD.
One thing have I asked the LORD.
Who is the psalmist asking?
We need to camp here because this is really significant. The psalmist isn’t just talking about any old “thing” here. He’s not asking for just anyone’s help. He’s asking for the LORD’s help, and all caps in Scripture denotes a special name of God.
The LORD is Jehovah orYahweh. Whenever you hear that name, your spirit should automatically rise up and your countenance should change. Just hearing the name Jehovah should give you a facelift! Why? Because the LORD is the eternal, unchanging, self-existent, covenant-keeping God, who is and was and is to come. Jehovah is the holiest of names—so holy that the name was only spoken once a year by the priest on the Day of Atonement.
The LORD (Jehovah) is the “I AM Who I Am” from Exodus 3:14. Remember that great and powerful God who promised He would bring the Israelites out of Eygpt with a strong hand? Well, He did! And if He calls Himself the “Great I Am,” then we, with reverent and thankful hearts can call Him the “Great He Is.”
So when I think of Jehovah, I automatically think—“He Is, not He might be.” He’s not the “Great maybe or possibly or probably.” He Is!
My friend Caryl gave me this illustration, which has really helped me renew my mind about some things in my life. She said this: “What if when we think of a situation (good, bad, or indifferent), we put God in the middle of that scenario. Would that make a difference?”I took what she said and pondered it for a bit. Yes, what if I put Jehovah in the midst of everything that concerns me instead of my own solutions, thoughts, and vain imaginings.What if I put Jehovah—the eternal, unchanging, self-existent, covenant-keeping God, who is and was and is to come—in all of those things. Would that change my perspective at all?
YES, it does!
Rather than problem-solving or worrying or fretting, I can place Jehovah smack dab in the middle of my concerns and when I do that, do you know what happens? My joy multiples and my difficulties become moments of opportunity for Jehovah to be the “Great He Is!”
Take a look at these names paired with Jehovah and see how Jehovah can change your perspective:
- Jehovah-jireh—He Is My Provider
- Jehovah-nissi—He Is My Banner (my encouragement)
- Jehovah-shalom—He Is My Peace
- Jehovah-shammah—He Is There
- Jehovah-sabaoth–He Is the Lord of Hosts (my great battler!)
- Jehovah-raah–He Is My Shepherd
- Jehovah-rapha–He Is My Healer
What concerns you today?
How can bringing Jehovah into your situation allow you to exchange worry for peace?
What would your “thing” look like if you placed Jehovah in it?
Would your life be any different?
Would your countenance be changed?
Would that de-stress you any at all?
Here’s a truth to ponder this week …
When my One Thing is the LORD (Jehovah), I can rest in the fact
that HE IS in all my other things.
Have a fabulous week, friend!
Jacqueline Heider
Director of Women’s Ministry, Prayer & First Impressions