Thought for November 28

 History:

• 1660: A group of "thinkers" meet to hear Christopher Wren. Afterwards they agree to meet weekly to discuss scientific topics. A year later they become the Royal Society, the first scientific society. Several of the men are devout Christians--Wren [astronomer, anatomist, meteorologist, surveyor, architect], Thomas Willis [pioneer in the study of the brain; "Circle of Willis" arteries at the base of the brain], Robert Boyle [first modern chemist; Boyle's Law on the relationship between the pressure and volume of gases]. Boyle believed that the study of nature proved the existence of God. 
• 1775: Continental Congress establishes the Continental Navy
• 1895: First car race in America--Chicago to Evanston and back--winner averaged 7 mph
• 1932: Groucho Marx makes first radio appearance
• 1948: Hopalong Cassidy premiers on TV
• Born: John Bunyan, William Blake, Berry Gordy [Motown], Ed Harris, Jon Stewart
• Died: Friedrich von Steuben [trained the army at Valley Forge], Washington Irving, Jeremiah Rankin ["God Be With You Til We Meet Again"], James Naismith, Enrico Fermi, Rosalind Russell, Garry Moore, Leslie Nielsen

Thought:
Still looking at Psalm 27 today where I have underlined words in 27:4.  In the New Testament we are told to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and that all these things will be added to us. Look at David's ONE thing. The ONE thing David seeks--to dwell in the house of the Lord for life. 

At church we have been thinking about our One--the person that is near to us but far from God. We have committed to pray for opportunities to share Christ with our One. Reading Psalm 27:4 makes me ask myself, what is the ONE thing that I seek, what is the ONE thing I ask from the Lord. Yes, my prayer list is long, but what is that ONE thing? The priority, the most important, the most needed. To dwell in and with the Lord. To abide in Him and He in me. To have that intimate relationship. Seeking first His kingdom--for in His kingdom there is peace, joy, love, patience, gentleness, kindness, self-control. 

Interesting that the prayer is not for doing, but for being. The doing [works] flows from my being. I  must first allow Christ to dwell and abide in me and out of that flows love and joy and peace. Now notice that David lists two things that he will do while dwelling in the Lord:

• Behold the beauty of the Lord. In those moments of intimacy with Christ we behold His beauty, perfection. We focus on His qualities and see purity, holiness, perfection. Think about one that you love. When you see them they are perfect--others may not see what you see, but you see beauty. Ever look around at some couples who are desperately in love. To you, neither are beautiful or handsome, but to each other they are pure beauty. I was watching an internet video of Larnel Harris and Sandi Patti singing "We Shall Behold Him" yesterday. WOW! We shall behold Him, then face to face. David is praying to experience that day today--Lord help us behold Your beauty today.
• Meditate. Ponder His glory, consume His words, listen to His voice, read and capture His words. This is a challenge for when I really spend time meditating on His word, the light shines on the dark places in my life and requires confession, repentance and forgiveness. When I meditate on His word, I see all the ways I fail. But then I also claim all His promises--never to leave or abandon me, to be all sufficient for my every need, to guide me, teach me, transform me, and to protect me from my enemies. 

Today, what ONE thing do you ask of the Lord--let me know You and the depth of Your suffering and the power of Your resurrection. Let me see Your beauty and meditate on Your words. And then let me sing, "We Shall behold Him, then face to face."

Blessings

Larry