All Day. Every Day. Forever.
Two of the best sermons I heard in 2006 came from Psalm 27:1-6. The first was delivered by Carl Hargrove in Chapel at The Master's College. My brother Bobby gave the second this last Sunday at Compass Bible Church. This text and these sermons have given me something to shoot for here at the beginning of 2007.
"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."
Psalm 27:4
Seeking the Lord needs to be my top priority in 2007. My desire must be to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. And this pursuit needs to be all day, every day, and forever.
All day. From when I get up in the morning, to when I go to bed at night, my desire needs to be set on the Lord. My day needs to be filled by reading and thinking about the Scripture and time spent in prayer. I need to spend my time in obedience to God's commands and serving others through friendship. Too many times I find myself lost in the middle of a day. I must pursue constancy and consistency each day.
Every day. Some days I don't feel like seeking the Lord. Sometimes I say that I am too busy. Other days I tell myself that I need to rest--basically, I tell myself I can take a break from pursuing God. These excuses are "weak sauce." No time is it more important for me to desire to behold the beauty of the Lord than on a busy day, and days of rest are optimal times to refresh myself through time spent with the Lord.
Forever. Seeking after the Lord is a lifelong pursuit. If you look at the words of the Apostle Paul, he describes it that way. He knew that he had not arrived, and his desire was to press on for that which lay ahead. (Phil. 3) He compared the Christian life to athletic competition that required training and endurance. And at the end of his life, he could say that he finished the course. (2 Tim. 4)
I'm excited for a new year. As usual, the future is full of question marks and uncertainties. But I look forward to pursuing the Lord throughout the course of another year.
He is good.
He is beautiful--worthy to be gazed upon all the days of my life.
posted by Ben Blakey at 9:13 PM
3 Comments:
Well, we thought of you when USC won. Enjoy the victory!
I was so excited to hear that you will be going to Israel this semester. Studying abroad is such an awesome experience - much less being in the Holy Land! Have a wonderful time. (Don't put your film or camera in your checked luggage - I lost all my pictures that way.)
Yo Bro, I love how you broke down seeking God as our one thing into All Day, Every Day, Forever. Thanks for the encouraging blog!
Ben, great post here! I really like what you said--"He is good. He is beautiful--worthy to be gazed upon all the days of my life." Amen and let's live full-time for Jesus!
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