“One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: 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 meditate in His temple.” Psalm 27:4
One of the more fascinating verses I have found in the Bible is 1st Samuel 13:14. The prophet Samuel is speaking to King Saul concerning David and says, “The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart!” Immediately a question arises in me, ‘What was there about him that so captured the Lord’s attention and admiration that He would make such a statement about David?’ That led me to search the Scriptures concerning David, and there are numerous indications as to why. One is found in Psalm 27:4 printed above. David does not take a “shopping list” of things he desires from the Lord. He only desires one thing: that he may live all the days of his life in the Lord’s presence. He makes a similar statement in Psalm 63:1, “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly (early); My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
A second thing David states in Psalm 27:4 is that he not only has made the request to live in the Lord’s presence, but he will seek to do so! Most will remember their school grammar lessons that “seek” is a verb, and verbs are action words. That requires a discipline to be established in one’s life. By the way, the word ‘disciple’ comes from the word ‘discipline’.
One day a young man came to the fourth century leader Augustine and asked, ‘Can you help me know God?’ When Augustine asked the young man if he really wanted to know God, the young man enthusiastically answered, ‘Yes’! Augustine walked out into a garden, got on his knees next to a small pool of water, bowed his head, clasped his hands and closed his eyes. The young man, following, did likewise. Suddenly, without warning Augustine reached over grabbed the young man by the arm with one hand, and with the other hand he grabbed the back of his neck and pushed his head under water, holding his head under water for several seconds. Finally he pulled the young man up so he could take a couple of gasps of air, then he plunged his head under water again! After what seemed an extremely long time, Augustine pulled the young man’s head up, turned his head to his own and said, “Young man, when you want to know God as badly as you want to breathe right now, then you will get to know God!”
What would happen in churches if believers today had a priority for the presence of God like that? What would happen in your life if you had a priority for the presence of God like that?

Jon Moore