"The one thing I shall ask of the Lord, the thing I seek most: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple." Psalm 27:4
As I’ve spent time reflecting on why I have abandoned my first love, the word dwell sticks out to me. To dwell means to “remain for a time” or “keep the attention directed.” And if you are like me, it is easy for our attention to move quickly from one task to one thought to one other thing that pops in front of us. It’s like the outfielder in a little league game who is watching the grass grow, then every so often she is shaken into action when a fly ball comes her way. When applied to prayer, it means that my consistency of short prayers throughout the day simply does not keep my attention on him for any meaningful length of time.
So what would it look like to “dwell” and “delight” in the LORD?
For me, it requires a slowing down that is more often achieved when I take the time to not only read scripture, but to write it down along with any thoughts, prayers, or connecting scripture that comes to mind. This practice enables me to see and experience more of God’s Word, to hear what He might have to say to me, and lead me to prayers of thanksgiving, repentance, and praise. This routine might look like this simple meditation on Psalm 27 verse four:
The one thing I shall ask of the Lord, the one thing I shall seek after [is JESUS, more of Him… forgive me for the many times I put other desires first, give me a heart that would seek after you]
That I may dwell in His house [and seep in His Word, meditate on His laws, His character]
That I would delight in Him [as my first love, the One who fully satisfies].
This thought caused me to remember Psalm 90:14 and the truth that “He satisfies me in the morning with His unfailing love;” and “He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things” (Psalm 107:9).
I am reminded that my soul is hungry for Him, and when I am attentive to Him, then I am satisfied; not because of anything that I did, but because of God’s unfailing love for me. I am fully aware that on my own I would seek my own comfort and convenience, and yet God still delights when I turn to him. Praise God!
What will you dwell on today? Will it be your troubles or anxieties? Your work and to-do lists? Will you yearn for the things that bring you pleasure, relaxation, or comfort? Or will you dwell on the Lord of the universe who forgave all of your sins and is your light and salvation (as verse one of Psalm 27 tells us)?
