Psalm 27:4 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… I. WHAT THE DESIRE OF THE PSALMIST, AND SO OF EVERY SAINT, IS FIXED UPON. It is as if he should say, "As long as I live I would gladly live in the house of God, be always near to Him, have uninterrupted communion with Him, be employed in hearing from Him, praying to Him, praising of Him; and if there be a heaven upon earth, it is found in such works and enjoyments as these. I am nowhere so well as in the house of God: no company like His; no entertainment like His. Here I would be, not as a wayfaring man, that turneth aside to tarry for a night, but as one that belongs to the family, a stated inhabitant. I desire to dwell in the house of the Lord, and this not for a short and limited time, but all the days of my life: as long as I remain upon earth, the house of God will be my most delightful abode." II. THE DESIRE ITSELF. 1. Take notice of its characters. It is a real desire, not feigned. Fixed. "One thing." Supreme; he desired it before and above all else. With this he was content, without it nothing could satisfy him (Psalm 42:1, 2; Psalm 84:2). Constant and abiding — he has desired it, and still he "will seek after" it. And it is influential upon his practice. It makes him pray and endeavour. 2. Whence it springs. It is from God's Spirit. We did not bring it into the world ourselves, and we could not produce it ourselves. III. THE AIM HE PROFESSES TO HAVE. "To behold the beauty," etc. — God in Christ — "and to inquire," etc. Let us be thankful for "the house of the Lord." (D. Wilcox.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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