“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 enquire in his temple.” Psalm 27:4

Some think David wrote this psalm before his coming to the throne, when he was in the midst of his troubles, or perhaps on the occasion of the death of his parents; but the Jews believed he wrote it when he was old, during a wonderful deliverance he had from the sword of the giant, when Abishai succoured him (2 Samuel 21:16,17) and his people resolved he should never venture his life again in battle, lest he should quench the light of Israel.

King David’s servant told him to stay home while they go to face the enemies but instead of taking the opportunity to rest in idleness, he chooses to spend that part of his life to stay in the house of the Lord to seek and enquire in His temple always. This is a rare choice for so many today when they get older, they prefer to seek pleasures, celebrations, travels, fashions, shows, idleness and many such things to suit their cravings for the satisfaction of their lustful desires.

In Psalm 27:4, we can learn some lessons, One, The delight of a prayerful soul, Two, The desire of purified saints and three, the delightful providence in the sanctuary. We will consider them one after the other.

THE DELIGHT OF A PRAYERFUL SOUL

According to Psalm 27:4, If King David were to ask but one thing of God, it is to dwell in the house of the Lord, behold His beauty always and enquire in His temple day and night. He desired it of the Lord as a gift and a token of his favour. And, having fixed his desire upon this as the one thing needful, he sought after it; he continued to pray for it, and contrived his affairs so that he might have this liberty and opportunity. Those that truly desire communion with God will set themselves with all diligence to seek after it.

“Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.” (Proverbs 18:1) explains how one seeks for what he desires by prayer after separating himself, that is, cutting off from human affairs to set his face on God and commune with Him. King David delighted to be separated from the talks and tales of men as well as the battles of life to be in constant communion with God. He intended to commune with God by seeking the word, the will and the way of the Lord.

That is the delight of every prayerful soul, to be with God, hear from God and speak to God. What a wonderful fellowship! To dwell in prayer, that is not just a momentary prayer, it is taking a long time with God like Abraham in Genesis 18:17-33 after God had revealed unto him what He was about to do to Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham started praying by interceding, only God knows how long.

Prayer is a delightful moment of communion with God. In it, we express our desires to God. Sometimes it becomes so sweet that we begin to speak in the heavenly language that makes God and heaven glad. The language with which the disciples spoke the wonderful works of God in Acts 2:7-13.

Prayer is not just a pastime like James Montgomery (1818) wrote in the song, “Prayer is the soul sincere desire”

1 Prayer is the soul's sincere desire,
unuttered or expressed,
the motion of a hidden fire
that trembles in the breast.

2 Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
the falling of a tear,
the upward glancing of an eye,
when none but God is near.

3 Prayer is the simplest form of speech
that infant lips can try;
prayer the sublimest strains that reach
the Majesty on high.

4 Prayer is the contrite sinners' voice,
returning from their way,
while angels in their songs rejoice
and cry, "Behold, they pray!"

5 Prayer is the Christians' vital breath,
the Christians' native air;
their watchword at the gates of death;
they enter heav'n with prayer.

6 O Thou, by whom we come to God,
the Life, the Truth, the Way;
the path of prayer Thyself hast trod:
Lord, teach us how to pray!

King David’s delight in prayer is the secret of his victories and exploits over the bear, over the lion and over the giant, Goliath, as explained in the first three verses of Psalm 27. He desires not to be idle, though his servants wanted him to stay off the war front, he chooses to stay in the presence of God to seek him in fervent prayer and enquire at His feet always.

When his servants are at war, he will be in the house of God seeking and enquiring from God like Moses, supported by Aron and Hur, went to the hill to lift up holy hands in prayer for Joshua and the other men of war when Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim (Exodus 17:10-13), the prayer that brought a miraculous victory.  David, although, believed that their victory over the enemy is guaranteed as long as God is with them, but yet chooses to seek the face of the Lord and to enquire in His temple always. Prayer is not just necessary in times of uncertainty but “…men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” (Luke 18:1)

Everyone should delight in prayer but there are different prayers for sinners and saints. Sinners should first of all pray for repentance by seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness before other things can be added. Saints makes their request known unto God with faith and thanksgiving as sign of faith, “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1). Let us consider the example of Jacob in Genesis 32:24, Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10 and the Jewish publican in Luke 18:13,14.

Jacob’s stole his brother’s birthright, deceived his father. He was a manipulator, a deceiver, a liar etc. He was like every other sinner today but at a point in his life he saw the need to pray and the only appropriate prayer for him was to pray for a change. He asked God to change his life. God answered and changed his name Jacob which was associated with lying, deception, cheating etc. to Israel, a prince with God and God blessed him.

The only prayer a sinner should pray is for forgiveness before other things. If a sinner prays for healing and get healed but refuses to repent, certainly Satan will bring back the sickness or bring back a bigger problem to him. That was why Jesus told a man that was healed in John 5:14, “…Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” So, if you have any unconfessed sin in your life like Jacob, pray for forgiveness now before any other thing at all.

Jabez too prayed. He was not from a family that knows how to pray but he was an Isrealite, a believer in Jehovah. The mother named him Jabez because of the circumstances surrounding his birth but Jabez “…called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.”

The delight in seeking God will give supernatural answers to prayers. You don’t have to know how to pray before you pray. You just need to be a born-again believer that have repented of all past sins. As a believer you can explain your problems to God anyhow you know how to and God will answer.

Do not wait for someone to help you before you pray to God. David did not say he will wait for Prophet Nathan to help him seek and enquire from God but said he will seek and enquire. Hezekiah, in 2 kings 20:1,2, did not employ prophet Isaiah to help him pray after the prophecy of his death. He turned away from Isaiah, turned his face to the wall and prayed to God.

The delight to pray will make God willing to hear. Create an atmosphere of linking up with God in prayer now. Tell him everything you want Him to do for you. Make your prayer a communication with God and God will answer your prayer. Jesus said, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24). Just pray to God in the name of Jesus and you will receive answer right away.

The Jewish publican’s prayer is a precept that anyone coming to God in prayer cannot neglect because God resist the proud according to 1 Peter 5:5. King David’s humility made him to prefer to come down and dwell in the house of the Lord rather than remain in his ivory palace. Prayer must be with humility, not for show, not for people to know, not for competition to outdo others who pray, not to boast but to commune with God. A prayerful soul must approach God with deep humility and reverence. The publican received answer because of humility unlike the Pharisee who was condemned by Christ for being proud before God. Humble yourself and take time to pray.

How often do you long to pray? How long do you spend in devotion to God? What do you desire when you pray?

THE DESIRES OF PURIFIED SAINTS

In the courts of God's house, the priests had their lodgings, and David wished he had been one of them rather than to be a king. Many looks upon God's ministers disdainfully while one of the greatest and best of kings that ever was would gladly have taken his lot, have taken his lodging, among them. He desires that he might duly and constantly attend on the public service of God, with other faithful Israelites, according as the duty of every day required. He longed to see an end of the wars in which he was engaged, not that he might live at ease in his own palace, but that he might have leisure and liberty for a constant attendance in God's courts.

Also, Hezekiah, a genuine son of David, wished for the recovery of his health, not that he might go up to the thrones of judgment as king, but that he might go up to the house of the Lord. (IsaIah 38:22).

God's children should desire to dwell in God's house not to sojourn there as a wayfaring man, that turns aside to tarry but for a night, nor to dwell there for a time only, as the servant that abides not in the house for ever, but to dwell there all the days of their life; for there the Son abides ever.

Purified saints are not only Sunday-Sunday Christians but must be in constant fellowship with God and with the brethren, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)

King David’s intention of dwelling in God’s house is to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His temple always. That must be the desire of every purified saints. In God’s house we want to hear the beautiful words of life, ask questions about what we do not understand, teach and share the word with others and learn from others like Isaiah 2:3 says, “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD , to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

After conversion, there is a strong desire to know God more, if that is lacking, it is likely the conversion is not genuine yet. Purified or sanctified saints have deeper desire to search the scriptures, listen to Bible teaching, read spiritual books etc. All these are ways of beholding the beauty of the Lord.

There are people that attend churches to see people but cannot see more than that. They dressed themselves in beautiful attires and try to catch all the excitements and fun they can through emotional activities but cannot see God in everything they do because their hearts are not purified from lusts, carnalities, merchandise, ego, etc. since the Bible said, “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.” (Titus 1:15)

Purified saints’ lives in the consciousness of God’s presence. They see God even when they close their eyes in prayers, either in church or anywhere. They always, like King David, behold the beauty of the Lord without the desire to soil or stain that beauty with sinful talking, living or thinking because God is too Holy to permit or tolerate iniquity or sin.

Purified saints’ lives for God and desires to remain with God always even in troubles, temptations and trials. The holiness in God is their delight and desire always, enquiring at God’s presence how they can maintain and grow in that holiness without the flesh overcoming their desires for God and His house.

THE DELIGHTFUL PROVIDENCE IN THE SANCTUARY

King David would dwell in God's house, not just for the plenty of good entertainment that was there, in the feasts upon the sacrifices, nor for the music and good singing that were there, but to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His temple always.

There is everything in the temple and King David disposes himself to get everything he needs for sustenance there. Therefore, he sought to stay there always and enjoy the abundance of God’s providence.

He desired to attend in God's courts, that he might have the pleasure of meditating upon God and sometimes partake of the shewbread he once took from Abiathar the priest when he was running away from King Saul. He knew something of the beauty of the Lord, the infinite and transcendent amiableness of the divine being and perfections; his holiness is his beauty (Ps 110:3), his goodness is his beauty, Zech 9: 17. The harmony of all his attributes is the beauty of his nature. With an eye of faith and holy love we with pleasure behold this beauty, and observe more and more in it that is amiable, that is admirable.

When with fixedness of thought, and a holy flame of devout affections, we contemplate God's glorious excellencies, and entertain ourselves with the tokens of his peculiar favour to us, this is that view of the beauty of the Lord which David here covets, and it is to be had in his ordinances, for there he manifests himself.

Secondly, that he might have the satisfaction of being instructed in his duty; for concerning this he would enquire in God's temple. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? For the sake of these two things he desired that one thing, to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life; for blessed are those that do so; they will be still praising him (Ps 84:4), both in speaking to him and in hearing from him. Mary's sitting at Christ's feet to hear the word Christ calls the one thing needful, and the good part.

There is everything to satisfy in the temple and Kind David dispose himself to get everything he needs for sustenance there. Not just the shewbread for the body but the singing, sacrifices both for the soul and spirit. Everything made available for those, like King David, that chose to dwell in the house of the Lord.

God’s provision is with the consciousness of our needs, “…for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” Matthew 6:32b. He is touched with the feelings of our needs. He knows when we need those things.  He knows the pressure we face when we do not have what we need. He knows the appropriate amount of our needs and He shall supply our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Therefore, choosing like Kind David to dwell in His house is the wisest decision anyone can make because He will supply and meet our needs accordingly.

Decide today to seek Him, surrender to Him and serve Him all the days of your life.