Today’s scripture reading is Psalm 27.
One thing I asked of the Lord, that I will seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. -Psalm 27:4 NRSV
A car full of University of Tennessee fans crashes and there are no survivors. Saint Peter, feeling sorry for them because their lives were prematurely snuffed out, decides to grant them each one wish.
The first guy wants UT to beat Alabama every year in football. Saint Peter snaps his fingers and says, “It will be so and you’ll have a great seat to watch from heaven.”
The second guy wants UT to beat Florida every year. Saint Peter snaps his fingers and says, “It will be so and you’ll have a great seat to watch from heaven.”
The third guy wants UT to win the national championship every year. Saint Peter snaps his fingers and says, “It will be so and you’ll have a great seat to watch from heaven.”
The last guy is laughing as he approaches Peter. When asked what his wish is, he replies, “Make those other three guys Vanderbilt fans!”
If you could ask God for one thing, what would it be? As much as you might love the Volunteers, your “one thing” probably wouldn’t be to beat Alabama or Florida every year. And hopefully, you wouldn’t be so devious as to ask for everyone else to become Vanderbilt fans! But what would you request?
In our scripture today, David says that if he could ask for one thing, it would be to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Whether he’s talking about the temple that his son Solomon would later build, the tent that he erected to house the ark of the covenant, or simply any place where God can be found, the point is that David wants to reside with God, to always be near God.
What’s the one thing that your heart desires? What would it mean if your one thing was the same as David’s? May God grant you the grace to ponder this today.
