One Thing I Desire

I remember during my elementary days, in Christian school, when we were supposed to choose a life verse. A verse that meant something special to me. I'll admit, at that point in life, I didn't have a special, personalized verse to hang my proverbial hat upon. Yeah. While I don't remember, my verse was most likely Philippians 4:13 - just because someone I liked had chosen that one. Not really a good reason to grab hold to a life verse, huh?

Somewhere along the way, as I was growing into adulthood, a verse began to wrap itself around my heart. It became special. I don't know if it happened all at once or whether it was just a slow-growing process. Whatever the case, I can definitely say today that I have a life verse...one that I hold onto tightly.

Psalms 27:1, "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."

I love to go to church. I've found throughout my years that I have a deep love to be in the house of the Lord. As a young person, whenever we'd have tornado warnings or really bad weather, I'd always want to be at church. Yes, I felt safe in this big, open, sanctuary that would probably not be considered the safest place to be in such a storm. Why did I feel safe? If you would have asked me then, I would've said, "Because it's God's house." It seemed so simple to me.

I love working at the church. It doesn't matter what I'm doing, whether cleaning toilets, working in the office, helping decorate Sunday school rooms, mowing the lawn...I could go on and on. However, most of all, I love when it's church time. I love to feel God's presence! There's nothing like it. Often times I regret that we have to leave after a service where the sweet presence of the Lord was so undeniable.

I love to worship the Lord with my church family. Yet, one of my favorite times is when there's nobody there but me and I go to the keyboard to spend some quality time - just me and the Lord. There's something intimate about playing and singing unto the Lord when you're all alone and there are no distractions. I think David understood this. In those special moments I sing, tears fall and I just enjoy worshiping the Lord. He always meets me there. The beauty of the Lord. I never leave without my heart being touched and my spirit being refreshed.

I love to hear the Word preached. There's nothing like going to church and listening to pastor break down God's Word for me. My Bible is filled with notes scribbled in the margins, on the blank pages, the title page and...well, pretty much wherever I can find a spot. Sometimes I feel like I could sit for hours on end and listen. I find I wish there was "more time" to take it all in. There's so much about God I don't know and understand that I desire more. To learn of the Lord...nothing is more satisfying to this girl. 

There's nothing I desire more, than to be in God's house, and I never want to take it for granted. In the presence of God, that's where I want to be...I wish I never had to leave. Just to think...one day, and I don't believe we're too far away...those who love dwelling in the presence of the Lord, will be able to spend eternity worshiping Him without ever having to leave His presence. What a day that will be!

The beautiful thing I've learned with this verse is this: as much as I love to be in the Lord's presence, He loves to have me there even more. That's just amazing to me. Oh, how I love the Lord - I want to seek Him daily. That's the one thing I desire. And that...it's my life verse the way I feel it in my heart.

Do you have a special verse?