“One thing have I desired 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 behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4)
What do you think God would say if you could ask Him what He wants from you the most? Would He say, share your faith more, serve Him more, or give more? Would He want you to join a church family, get more involved in church activities, or attend church more frequently? Do you believe that God simply wants you to do more for Him?
It's a worthwhile issue to think about, but many Christians give it the wrong response. Several Christians decide to work harder because they are convinced that God is most pleased with what they do. Human nature drives us to strive for God's favor. To us, such a system makes sense, right? The difficulty is that it is not possible. The good news is that salvation is not by works but by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).
Did you know that Jesus occasionally revealed to His people the "one thing" He most desired for them more in the Bible? When the rich young ruler came to Jesus to ask about eternal life, Jesus told him in a calm way that he was missing one thing.If I may paraphrase the words of Jesus in Luke 18:22, 'Leave, sell whatever you have, and give the money to the needy. Come then and follow Me.' Was Jesus advising him to seek salvation through works? Obviously not, but he was advising him to give it all up for Him. Nothing in the life of the young ruler should be more important than Jesus. According to the Bible, the guy left dejected because of his possessions. He wasn't willing to abandon everything to follow Jesus.
Then there were the two sisters named Mary and Martha. Martha was hard at work in the kitchen, laboring to serve her Lord, when Jesus arrived at their house to eat. She felt irritated with her sister for "simply sitting" and doing nothing while Jesus visited. When Martha asks Jesus to make Mary help her, Jesus responds, "But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:42). This definitely wasn't the response Martha was hoping for.
How many of us are occupied in the kitchen but are lacking the essential ingredient? And what is it that Jesus really meant? Jesus never explicitly stated what God most desired, but He did provide us with abundant proof of it. There was one thing that God yearned for above all else, even in the Old Testament. "I am the LORD your God, who took you out of the land of Egypt; you shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:2-3). The one thing was that God wanted them to love Him more than anything or anyone else.
Jesus recognized the Pharisees' ploy when they asked Him what the greatest commandment was, and He said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." (Luke 10:27). So I must ask: what is the one thing you are looking for specifically? If it's not Jesus, you're missing out on the wonderful reason God created you in the first place.
Prayer: Father, today I simply want one thing: a stronger desire and a deeper longing for Jesus Christ. Please guide me on how to put Him first in my life. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
