Journal for Christ: November 2017

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Presence, Protection, Praise

This entry date is inaccurate for I started this entry probably a week and a half to two weeks ago and am just finalizing and publishing it. It has been a rough two weeks. I have been exhausted during the time and have not been able to devote much time to study. The corpus of this work only took several days and then I tweaked it over the rest of the time. For all the time lapse this entry is rather short compared to other entries. During tis season I expect that my time in journalling will be brief and sporadic. Hopefully, with the new year, I will be able to pick up the pace.

November 22, 2017

Worship: In Your Presence by Paul Wilbur

In Your presence

That's where I am strong

In Your presence

O Lord my God

In Your presence

That's where I belong

Seeking Your face

Touching Your grace

In the cleft of the Rock

In Your presence O God

I want to go

Where the rivers

Cannot overflow me

Where my feet are

On the rock

I want to hide

Where the blazing

Fire cannot burn me

In Your presence O God

I want to hide

Where the flood of

Evil cannot reach me

Where I'm covered by the blood

I want to be where

The schemes of darkness

Cannot touch me

In Your presence O God

You are my firm foundation

I trust in You all day long

I am Your child

And Your servant

And You are my

Strength and my song

You're my song

Seeking Your face

Touching Your grace

In the cleft of the Rock

In Your presence O God

In Your presence

Lyrics: https://genius.com/Paul-wilbur-in-your-presence-lyrics

Video: https://youtu.be/g5MFhZLO73A

Witness:

This song has so much to do with the words found in Psalm 27. If I were to change any of the lyrics, it would be the line which says “touching Your grace.” These lyrics are vague and subject to misunderstanding. Taken literally they don’t make much sense. I don’t want to just touch His grace, I want to be gripped by it. As I think about those words, I can only see them as a veiled way of saying what I think the lyrics here should be. I want to say, “standing in Your grace,” or “surrounded by Your grace.” These seem more biblically sound for they express the truth found in Romans 5:2. Perhaps the author of the song may have felt “touching Your grace” flowed better lyrically. If that is the case, he was speaking metaphorically, and in a roundabout way was trying to say what I am saying. Usually when we use the word “touch,” we think of our fingers touching something. However, if we think of putting on clothes, there is a sense in which our bodies are “touching” the clothing. I think this is what the author meant.

Having said that, I want to say that if it were not for grace, I would not want to seek His presence. For I would only experience His wrath, which is what I deserve.

It is only by God’s gracious love,

And the precious blood of Lamb -

Because of His great mercy,

And a Savior who understands

The weakness of our mortal flesh

And our prevalence to sin -

Our doubts and fears are cast out

And with boldness, we enter in.

Eph 2:4-8But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.NIV

Rom 5:8-10But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!
NIV

Heb 4:14-16 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
ESV

WORD:

Ps 27:4-6

4 One thing I ask of the Lord,

this is what I seek:

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 seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the Lord.

NIV (84)

Ps 27:4-6

4 The one thing I ask of the Lord—

the thing I seek most—

is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

delighting in the Lord's perfections

and meditating in his Temple.

5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;

he will hide me in his sanctuary.

He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

6 Then I will hold my head high

above my enemies who surround me.

At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,

singing and praising the Lord with music.

Ps 27:4-6

4 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.

5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.

KJV

Ps 27:4-6

4 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.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter

in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

he will lift me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up

above my enemies all around me,

and I will offer in his tent

sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

ESV

In my last study, I looked at the lifelong singular desire David had as a “man after [God’s] own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22). Now, I want to look at the direction that desire took. Today I will give just a general outline and follow-up in the future with a more in-depth look at this portion of Scripture.

First, let me identify what David desired, which is revealed in verse 4. While his desire is singular (“one thing”), he delineates it under three points:

· “that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life” NIV

· “to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord” NIV

· “to seek him in his temple” NIV or “to inquire in his temple” ESV

Lastly, for today that is, I see three movements in these verses:

1. Presence - David earnestly desired to personally experience God’s presence – v. 4

2. Protection – Which led to experiencing God’s protection – vs. 5

3. Praise –And experiencing exaltation and culminating in God’s praise– v. 6

Monday, November 13, 2017

David prays for and pursues that which he passionately desires

November 8, 2017

Worship: Grace and Peace by Sovereign Grace Music; One Desire by Hillsong

VERSE 1

Grace and peace, oh how can this be

For lawbreakers and thieves

For the worthless, the least

You have said, that our judgment is death

For all eternity

Without hope, without rest

Oh, what an amazing mystery

What an amazing mystery

That Your grace has come to me

VERSE 2

Grace and peace, oh how can this be?

The matchless King of all

Paid the blood price for me

Slaughtered Lamb, what atonement You bring!

The vilest sinner's heart

Can be cleansed, can be free

Oh, what an amazing mystery

What an amazing mystery

That Your grace has come to me

VERSE 3

Grace and peace, oh how can this be?

Let songs of gratefulness

Ever rise, never cease

Loved by God and called as a saint

My heart is satisfied

In the riches of Christ

Oh, what an amazing mystery

What an amazing mystery

That Your grace has come to me

TAG

Oh, what an amazing love I see

What an amazing love I see

That Your grace has come to me

Oh, what an amazing love I see

What an amazing love I see

That Your grace has come to me

Music and words by Joel Sczebel

Lyrics: http://sovereigngracemusic.org/music/songs/grace-and-peace/

Video: https://youtu.be/HPZFBq7EiSQ

You gave it all for me

My soul desire my everything

And all I am is devoted to You

How could I fail to see

You are the love that rescued me

And all I am is devoted to You

And oh, how could I not be moved

Lord here with You

So have Your way in me

'Cause Lord there is just one thing

That I will seek

This is my cry my one desire

Just to be where You are Lord

Now and forever it's more than a song

My one desire is to be with You

Is to be with You Jesus

How could I fail to see

You are the love that rescued me

All I am is devoted to You

And oh, how could I not be moved

Lord here with You

So have Your way in me

'Cause Lord there is just one thing

And that I will seek

This is my cry my one desire

Just to be where You are Lord

Now and forever it's more than a song

My one desire is to be with You

Is to be with You (repeat) Jesus (2^nd time)

The one thing, the one thing

That I ask is to be with You (repeat 3X)

Is to be with You

This is my cry my one desire

Just to be where You are Lord

Now and forever it's more than a song

My one desire is to be with You

Is to be with You (repeat) Jesus Jesus 2^nd time)

Artist: Hillsong

Album: Blessed

Lyrics: http://www.songlyrics.com/hillsong/one-desire-lyrics/

Video: https://youtu.be/1wd3Fv4Qkc4

Witness:

I have struggled to find a worship song to open with tonight. I had heard a song earlier called Grace and Peace by Sovereign Grace Music and was going to begin with that. However, when I finished listening to the song being sung, another song came on called “Behold our God” by the same artists, but when I did a search through my Journal, I found that I had already used the song before. It is my practice not to repeat a song. This way I am always finding new songs to worship by. It was then that the words “one desire” came to mind and I looked for a song with that title and of course I found one. Now I was in a dilemma – which song should I sing? The one that magnified the Lord for His grace and peace towards me the unworthy recipient or the one which fit in so well with the verses of my present study. It was then that I decided to do something I use to do in the beginning – include two songs. As I saw it, my sole desire for His presence was based on the prior monergism* of my sovereign God.

* MONERGISM - (from mo/no$, sole, and e&rgon, work) is a term used to designate the doctrine that in regeneration there is but one efficient agent, viz. the Holy Spirit. It is held by monergists that "the will of sinful man has not the least inclination towards holiness, nor any power to act in a holy manner, until it has been acted upon by divine grace; and therefore it cannot be said with strictness to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, since it acts in conversion only after it is quickened by the Holy Spirit."

WORD:

Ps 27:4-6

4 One thing I ask of the Lord,

this is what I seek:

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 seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the Lord.

NIV (84)

Ps 27:4-6

4 The one thing I ask of the Lord—

the thing I seek most—

is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

delighting in the Lord's perfections

and meditating in his Temple.

5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;

he will hide me in his sanctuary.

He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

6 Then I will hold my head high

above my enemies who surround me.

At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,

singing and praising the Lord with music.

Ps 27:4-6

4 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.

5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.

KJV

Ps 27:4-6

4 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.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter

in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

he will lift me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up

above my enemies all around me,

and I will offer in his tent

sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

ESV

In my previous study, I lay much emphasis on the word desire. Now you may be wondering why I have made such an emphasis since all modern translations translate the Hebrew word “sha’al” as “ask,” it is only the KJV that translates it “desired.” But when we look at the meaning of the words “ask” and “seek” in Hebrew we will see why.

BDB Abridged defines the word for “ask” in its present form, in this way:

sha'al or sha'el —

to ask, to enquire, to borrow, to beg

1) to ask, to ask for

2) to ask (as a favor), to borrow

3) to enquire, to enquire of

4) to enquire of, to consult (used of deity, an oracle)

5) to seek

(from The Online Bible Thayer's Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Copyright © 1993, Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada. Licensed from the Institute for Creation Research.)

It defines “seek” as:

baqash —

to seek, to require, to desire, to exact, to request

1) to seek to find

2) to seek to secure

3) to seek the face

4) to desire, to demand

5) to require, to exact

6) to ask, to request

Notice the similarity in meaning between the two words. Notice also that the second word has “desire” as part of its connotation.

Another factor that lends support to my contention is the verb tenses of these two words. Without going into detail on the technical aspects, which I am not well equipped to delineate on anyway, let me quote Keil and Delitzsch.

The future is used side by side with the perfect in v. 4 a, in order to express an ardent longing which extends out of the past into the future, and therefore runs through his whole life.
(from Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)

So we see from these two words the intensity and persistence of David in prayer and longing. That is why I emphasized the word “desire.” Perhaps the word “desire” is too tame now and “fervent desire” would be more descriptive of David’s attitude and action. How easy it is for us to overlook the depth of what David is saying by the mere reading of words without searching out and meditating on what they mean.

One final thought before I end tonight (actually I began on the 8th, but I am finishing on the 13^th). Think about the implications of prayer and seeking. Yes, the word “seek” could be just another way of speaking about persistence in prayer, but I think it goes further than just that. David looked for opportunities to fulfill his desires.

What does this say about David’s concept of prayer? I think one thing it means is that David did not see himself as a passive petitioner who only waited on the Lord to answer his prayers. While all prayer calls for patience as we “wait on the Lord” to answer, that does not always mean we sit idly by until He does. No, sometimes we need to take action, knowing God will work His good pleasure through us as we pursue our holy desires. No one should think that when Our Lord prayed, “give us this day our daily bread” in His model prayer, that He was saying we could just sit around while God rained down from the heavens our daily sustenance. We work for our food, but we know that even our work is provided by God and if we are out of work at the moment, we search for a new one and trust that the Lord will continue to provide our daily nourishment in spite of the lack of employment.

Therefore, based on his praise and positive assertions he made in verses 1-3, David prays for and pursues that which he passionately desires. And I leave it there for now until the next time when I will take a look at the direction David’s desire took.

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

One Thing

Worship: You’re Beautiful written by Phil Wickham and sung by Shane & Shane

I see your face in every sunrise

The colors of the morning are inside your eyes

The world awakens in the light of the day

I look up to the sky and say

You're beautiful

I see your power in the moonlit night

Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright

We are amazed in the light of the stars

It's all proclaiming who you are

You're beautiful

I see you there hanging on a tree

You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me

Now you are sitting on your heavenly throne

Soon we will be coming home

You're beautiful

When we arrive at eternity's shore

Where death is just a memory and tears are no more

We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring

Your bride will come together and we'll sing

You're beautiful

I see your face, you're beautiful

You're beautiful, you're beautiful

I see your face, you're beautiful

You're beautiful, you're beautiful

All that you are is beautiful

So beautiful, you're beautiful

All that you are is beautiful

You're beautiful, you're beautiful

Lyrics: http://beelyrics.com/s/shane-and-shane/youre-beautiful.html

Video: https://youtu.be/aky-FkqH6Ng

Witness:

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. Heb 1:3a ESV

I sit here in front of my computer wondering what to say. God seems to be quiet lately or is it that my life has been a jumble of sleep and errands mixed with bouts of vegging out in front of the TV watching the News because I am just too tired to do anything else. Some of that tiredness I am sure is from the daily experience of sadness that stalks me because of my wife's absence and the strain it brings on our family. Tiredness, sadness, stressful thoughts, lethargy are a whirlwind that surrounds me every day lately, yet out of the whirlwind, the LORD speaks. As I sit here, He reminds me that He “upholds the universe by the word of His power.” And the One who holds the universe together holds my universe together as well. And as the song which just played says,

I know You're able and I know You can

Save through the fire with Your mighty hand

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

I know the sorrow, I know the hurt

Would all go away if You'd just say the word

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

It is well with my soul

It is well, it is well with my soul

(from the song “Even if” by Mercy Me)

Please don’t think that I sit around all day with morose feelings that are entirely debilitating and leaving me in a pile of self-pity and inertia. No, my life may be a little disorganized at the moment and frustrated by lack of time for getting things done or spending more time in God’s Word or reading a great book. However, because my hope is in the Lord I know the One who holds my life in His hands and orders my steps will lead me and sustain me even in the wilderness where the weeds of worry grow, and the tumbleweeds of trials blow across my plain of existence. I will testify with the Apostle Paul, “sorrowful, yet rejoicing”(2 Cor. 6:10 NIV), and follow in obedience the exhortation of Nehemiah, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10 NIV). And as always the Lord sends a confirmation through one of His servants in the word of a song that just played.

When he told you-you're not good enough

When he told you-you're not right

When he told you-you're not strong enough

To put up a good fight

When he told you-you're not worthy

When he told you-you're not loved

When he told you-you're not beautiful

That you'll never be enough

Fear he is a liar

He will take your breath

Stop you in your steps

Fear he is a liar

He will rob your rest

Steal your happiness

Cast your fear in the fire

Cause fear he is a liar

When he told you were troubled

You'll forever be alone

When he told you-you should run away

You'll never find a home

When he told you-you were dirty

And you should be ashamed

When he told you-you could be the one

That grace could never change

Fear he is a liar

He will take your breath

Stop you in your steps

Fear he is a liar

He will rob your rest

Steal your happiness

Cast your fear in the fire

Cause fear he is a liar

Let Your fire fall and cast out all my fears

Let Your fire fall Your love is all I feel

Fear he is a liar

He will take your breath

Stop you in your steps

Fear he is a liar

He will rob your rest

Steal your happiness

Cast your fear in the fire

Cause fear he is a liar

Writer(s): Zach Williams, Jason Ingram, Jonathan Lindley Smith

WORD:

Ps 27:4-6

4 One thing I ask of the Lord,

this is what I seek:

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 seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the Lord.

NIV (84)

Ps 27:4-6

4 The one thing I ask of the Lord—

the thing I seek most—

is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

delighting in the Lord's perfections

and meditating in his Temple.

5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;

he will hide me in his sanctuary.

He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

6 Then I will hold my head high

above my enemies who surround me.

At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,

singing and praising the Lord with music.

Ps 27:4-6

4 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.

5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.

KJV

Ps 27:4-6

4 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.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter

in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

he will lift me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up

above my enemies all around me,

and I will offer in his tent

sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

ESV

A common question asked that shows up in many forms is the “one thing” question.

· If you had one thing you could do over again, what would that be?
· If you were granted one wish, what would it be?
· If you were granted the opportunity to meet and sit down with one person, who would that be?
· If there was one place you wanted to travel to, where would that be?
· If there was one person you could be, who would that be?
· If there was one thing you wanted more than anything, what would that be?

And the list could go on but you see what I am getting at. David could have wished for world peace or the crushing of the enemies he faced. But these needs as noble or needful as they may sound is not what he desired. No, as much as these desires are in vogue today, David’s wish was for something that on the surface may seem trite or inconsequential, but in reality is the desire all followers of Christ should want. To continually be in God’s presence and worship.

Furthermore, when David says, “One thing” he is not saying it is the only thing he asks for. In fact, the word “thing” is not in original but added by translators to make the passage more readable in English. The root word in Hebrew used here is:

OT:259 dj*a# 'echad (ekh-awd'); a numeral from OT:258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

The TWOT further elaborates:

OT:2297,OT:259 dj^a (( (°eµad) one, same, single, first, each, once, fem. aµat (tj^a^).
This word occurs 960 times as a noun, adjective, or adverb, as a cardinal or ordinal number, often used in a distributive sense. It is closely identified with y¹µad "to be united" and with rœ°š "first, head," especially in connection with the "first day" of the month (Gen 8:13). It stresses unity while recognizing diversity within that oneness.
(from Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Copyright © 1980 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)

From these definitions, I glean these thoughts concerning David’s desire. First, that it was not his only desire, but it was his chief desire. It was his foremost yearning. Of all his longings, it stood at the pinnacle. Someone has pointed three things about David’s “One…desire.”

Psalms 27:4First, because it is not a common but a chief good. If there be any good above it, it is not the chief good; and if there be any good equal unto it, it is not alone. Next, because it is the last end which we mind eternally to enjoy; if there be any end beyond it, it is not the last, but amidst, and a degree to it. All mids and ends are used for it, but it is sought for itself, and, therefore, must be but one. Thirdly, it is a centre whereunto all reasonable spirits draw. As all lines from a circle meet in the centre, so every one that seeketh happiness aright meeteth in the chief good, as the only thing which they intend, and, therefore, must be one. — William Struther, in "True Happiness, or King David's Choice," 1633.(from The Treasury of David, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Secondly, it was his most essential desire. If he had to give up everything else, this is the one thing he couldn’t do without. This one-mindedness corresponds with the words our Lord said to Martha:

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
Luke 10:41-42 NIV

One commentator has said:

Psalms 27:4Indeed, this "one thing," that David desires, is in effect that unum necessarium that Christ speaks of in the gospel; which Mary makes choice of there, as David doth here. — Sir Richard Baker.
(from The Treasury of David, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Another has said:

Psalms 27:4 heavenly mind gathers itself up into one wish and no more. "One thing have I desired of the Lord, which I will require." Grant me thyself, O Lord, and I will ask no more. The new creature asks nothing of God, but to enjoy God: give me this, O Lord, and for the rest, let Ziba take all. I will part with all to buy that one pearl, the riches of heavenly grace. — Jeremy Taylor.
(from The Treasury of David, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Finally, David’s “one…desire” was the one unifying desire under which all other desires were brought together. It is the one thing that would bring reason and purpose to his life and would answer even his present need for safety, direction, and strength.

Psalms 27:4 Changes, great changes, and many bereavements there have been in my life. I have been emptied from vessel to vessel. But one thing has never failed — one thing makes me feel that my life has been one; it has calmed my joys, it has soothed my sorrows, it has guided me in difficulty, it has strengthened me in weakness. It is the presence of God — a faithful and loving God. Yes, brethren, the presence of God is not only light, it is unity. It gives unity to the heart that believes it — unity to the life that is conformed to it. It was the presence of God in David's soul that enabled him to say, "One thing have I desired of the Lord;" and in St. Paul's that enabled him to say, "This one thing I do." — George Wagner, in the "Wanderings of the Children of Israel," 1862.(from The Treasury of David, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

As you can see I have leaned heavily on Spurgeon's classic work on the Psalms and therefore will end with a final quote on this verse from the same source.

Psalms 27:4One master passion in the breast,Like Aaron's serpent, swallows up the rest.— Alexander Pope.(from The Treasury of David, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)