What Are You Seeking?

"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 ... You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.” (Ps. 27:4, 8)

I asked for this, I sought it out, and He gave it to me. Did I have to give up some things in order to have this? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. First though, I had to become desperate. Desperate enough to lay aside everything. Everything which was an obstacle, stumbling block, hinderance, or distraction to this “one thing.” I remember asking Him with all my heart that He would cause me to always need Him, to have to rely on Him so that I would stay near, and that has happened.

Today, many are going after “one thing.” And that one thing requires years of education, putting aside relationships, putting aside free time, and fun; it requires hours and hours of study and training, and one day they finally achieve what they have been striving towards. Are they satisfied once they get it? It depends. Maybe for a time, then they become antsy and begin their search for a new thing to pursue. Of course, if this individual knows nothing of the love of God in Christ Jesus, then this pursuit makes perfect sense. But if they are a child of God, it makes no sense.

So, what is your “one thing” you are going after? And what does it mean for you to “seek His face”? Well, first I must know, have you tasted Him? I mean, have you truly encountered the presence of the LORD? Have you “tasted and seen that the LORD is good”? (Ps. 34:8). Have you become desperate for Him? It is His will that we know Him like Adam knew Eve. That we are intoxicated with His love. That we find no greater pleasure anywhere on earth than in His presence. We must understand it is His pleasure to unfold Himself to us; to enrapture us in Himself. It is His goodness to pour out His glory all over us like oil. He desires that we “hide” in Him as our secret place; that we abide under His covering continually; waiting, wanting, seeking, searching Him out. He loves to speak to those who listen. He loves you to sit at His feet; learning, growing, understanding, grasping His ways. It is the LORD’s joy to call you by name and to hear you say, “here I am.” To hear you say, “speak LORD, I hear.” Does this bring your spirit joy to consider this? Are you hungry and thirsty for the presence of the LORD, and simply NOTHING, NO-THING, will satisfy you but Him! In other words, are you sitting at Jesus feet like Mary (listening, dwelling, abiding) or are you busy, thinking you must serve, like Martha (anxious, being perfect, hurried, distracted)?

Many have believed that the “one thing” is service. They are mistaken. The one thing is, abiding, and from that place service comes. If we mix these up, we become “religious.” The only “one thing” which will truly satisfy is the presence of the Lord. We cannot really be satisfied with anything else because we were created for God. You know that God shaped hole every human has in them. Humanity is constantly searching for and “seeking” out that one thing which will truly satisfy the longing for “belonging, security, to be valued and loved.” But until one is enraptured by the love of God in Christ, experienced by the Holy Spirit personally, they will continue seeking for it in other places. But once an individual has known the presence of the Most Holy through intimate contact … NOTHING and NO-THING else can satisfy after that. And the more one spends in that Holy place; in the House of the LORD, tabernacling with the Father and the Son in quiet communion, the more that individual is unsatisfied by anything which the world can give them. Until one day … they just remain there. And they watch the world with the Father and the Son, praying together, and longing for the children to understand. Longing for the Light to expose the Darkness, and the truth to overtake the lies. Waiting for everyone to stop and listen. To silence the noise, and the running here and there, and the stiving and straining to achieve. BUT … they must become desperate. Not until they are desperate can much happen. For it is in the deep, dark, desperate places that change takes place. It is always in the place of humility that life and hope spring from. And so, what is God’s will for His children? Brokenness and desperation. And this only comes through trials and tribulations. But when the trials and tribulations have “had their way” in a child of God, it ends up creating humility, character, and hope. It shaves off the “dross.” And they are refined and purified in the fire, and finally, they learn how to be as little children, dependent upon their Father. They learn the only place to be, is in the Father’s house. And they rest there. They remain there. And it is from there that all things come from and move from for them. And so, “one thing” do they “seek after” … only Him.