Psalm 27:4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall 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 meditate in His temple.

Psalm 27 was sung by King David. He loved and trusted Lord most of his life. David here is talking about the Majesty of the King of Kings, Lord of Lords. David is not saying I will ask the Lord to see His beauty. No! He will seek! He did not just pray, “Lord, show me Your beauty”, “Lord, give me the word”, “Lord, what is your will for my life?” No he is talking about how he will seek the Lord ALL the days of his life. We often pray to the Lord about various things but sometimes we forget to seek Him. Scripture asks us to seek the Lord. Isaish 55:6 says to “Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.” Often, the time we do not seek Him is when we need Him the most – when we are frustrated, low on godliness, heart is far away from God. David recognizes this. How does he know that he should seek the Lord all the days of his life? How does he know that he should seek the Lord on his good days when he is strong in the Lord and on the days when he is feeling weak and humiliated? That is because he has made those mistakes. He has taken matters into his own hands rather than ask the Lord how to proceed – whether that was at the time of Bethsheba scandal, death of Uzzah, or the time he counted his army. 

So, David talks of seeking the Lord, but what does the scripture say about how to seek Him? Where to seek Him? Deutoronomy 4:29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. Search for the Lord with ALL your heart like this is your full time job or like when you just fell in love and all you could think of is your new beau. 1. Chronicles 28:8 So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek after all the commandments of the Lord your God so that you may possess the good land and bequeath it to your sons after you forever. What should we seek? This little nugget talks about seeking after His commandments – the ones we find easy to follow and like and the ones we are not fond of. 

David not only sought the Lord but he also instructed his son, Solomon, to do the same. Talk about wisdom handed down to next generation! 1. Chronicle 28:9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” David did not know how his son will turn out. David had complicated relationships with his children. This verse serves as a warning for the Christians who passively ask the Lord but do not seek with all their heart and soul. If we forsake the commandments of the Lord, He will reject us. History shows how Solomon built the temple how famous he became. His palace, the temple he built, his words of wisdom were all instagram worthy. If there was instagram in those days, he would have so many followers for #proverbs #wordsofwisdom #dailydose Wouldn’t he? But his ending was sad, the future of his kingdom he worked hard for was split because his heart was not fixated on the Lord. He lost his focus on the Lord.

What does all of this mean for us? Seek the Lord everyday, all the time. Meditate on the goodness of the Lord, count the blessings, trust Him even when it is hard to trust Him. Remind yourself, tell your heart that God is good to the point where as soon as anxiety starts to build up, your response is God is good! When you are frustrated with God, run to His presence, not away from Him. God can take it. I personally do not candy coat when I talk to the Lord. When I am frustrated, I tell the Lord why I am frustrated like a child throwing a fit. Like a good Father, He wraps His hand around me and comforts me through His word. He gently redirects my restless heart to His Word and at that point I realize how far away I was from His presence. 

Today I would like to encourage you – not just ask passively but actively seek HIM in HIS WORD, seek HIS strength, follow HIS commandments and love others.