One Thing

I can picture a king on his undignified knees in worship, hair disheveled, weeping as he reassures himself that the Lord is His Light and Salvation. He tears at his purple and gold robe as he cries out in a pleading tone, "I'm only asking you for one thing! Please, please! If You only answer one of my prayers, please let this be the one!!! Let me be with You!!!" The tears stream down his face and soak his beard.

"One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: 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." Psalm 27:4

I can picture a young woman sitting at a young man's feet. She stares at Him with a calm dedication and resolve not to let a single one of His Words be lost--for only His words are life to her. He defends her against the spite of others as only He can. "I'm enjoying your presence as much as you are enjoying mine. I won't take it away from you."

"But one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:42

I can picture a man frantically looking at every face, touching each person and thing he sees. People pull away as him uncomfortable with his groping. He's overcome with emotion. His tears of joy have left their tracks on his dirty cheeks still caked here and there with clay. When questioned he musters all his dignity to say, "Well, I may not know a lot of things, but I do know one thing--I was blind and now I see! I don't require more proof than that to believe!"

"Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." John 9:25

I can picture a wise, pious man penning his resume. His religious life is flawless, not unlike his neatly kept appearance. His attendants eager to please this man they admire, are ready to lavish praise on his long list of accomplishment. With a wave of his hand and eyes that size them up in a glance, he firmly says, "We can't dwell on the past. Good as it was, it's done. Forget it and don't bring it up to me again. I'm looking to the future."

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are head." Philippians 3:13

David wanted to behold the Lord's beauty and to stay in His presence.


Mary only sat at His feet and listened.


The blind man only knew the miracle and believed the man.


Paul couldn't put his confidence in his past, but only in Christ who held his future.



The question today is, "What is your One Thing"?



Remember it's only the pure in heart that shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)

For the seeker....

By Cherie Goodpasture of "Only Admit One" Copyright 2009.

This image is from an incredible online ministry called Only Admit One. (Blog here.) From their site: Our aim is to help people navigate this crazy, post-modern world of religion, sex and pop culture with their integrity, identity and faith intact.

The Messiah Who Disappoints

"In choosing to be born in utter obscurity, the King of the universe ignored conventional expectations. He celebrated in His own birthday the freedom to be unorthodox. In failing to live up to people's presuppositions ("From Nazareth?" ask Nathanael, "Can anything good come from that place?") Jesus became a stumbling block to many of his contemporaries. The housebroken Jewish imagination cringed at the crib, shuddered at the ersatz salvation of a humble unpredictable God. A King in rags was an insult to the finely honed intellect of the Pharisee and the rational mind of the scribe. Simpleminded shepherds and the rabble who did not know the Law might be hoodwinked, but those who studied the Scripture could not be deceived. There is a fascinating principle at work here in very religious people: 'Messiah, You get our allegiance only when You fulfill our expectations.'"

Do you not just find it amazing that God feels no obligation to meet your expectations? He's not just free to surpass them; He is completely unfettered by them.

"In making decisions, Jesus was called in freedom to ask first not what the Law says but what would the Father have Him do. A free life is often unconventional and surprising because it is available to those creative possibilities and innovative gestures that have been screened out of consideration by standards of acceptable behavior. In opting to celebrate His birthday in Bethlehem in such low-key fashion, Jesus revealed himself free from public opinion, from fear of what others might say or think. Jesus is the incarnation of the Father's freedom."

(From Lion and Lamb, The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus by Brennan Manning)

Just Checking

I was thinking about the children of Israel. They were supernaturally released from bondage in Egypt, saw God part the Red Sea, saw their enemy’s army destroyed—both horse and rider, and saw God’s Spirit descend upon the mountain while Moses received the Commandments.

And then they decided to create a golden cow to worship.How much more proof of a living God did they need than what they were already given? Why did they have to have something to see, to touch, and something created by their own hands? It seems a deplorable lack of faith. I hope I’m a better Christian than that.

Then again….If a Christian is someone who has perfect faith and who never doubts and never questions, then I suppose John the Baptist doesn’t make the cut. In prison for his faith, for preaching and preparing the way of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to Jesus to ask, “Are you the one, or do we look for another?” Seems like if you weren’t totally sure, ya wouldn’t have risked your neck scolding Herod and getting yourself locked away. It was as if John was saying to Jesus, “Let me just check one more time before I lose my life for You. I just want to make sure. Please reassure me that You are really the one.” I bet he was hoping Jesus would understand, being a carpenter and all. You know what carpenters say, “Measure twice, cut once.”

If a Christian is one who never asks for proof, then I suppose Jesus’ own disciple Thomas doesn’t count. He didn’t believe Jesus was alive until Jesus showed up and said, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

I don’t sense that Jesus was at all scolding Thomas. Just offering the proof Thomas needed, ‘cause Jesus loved Thomas, and I hear it in such a loving way.

Like when we are on a long trip and I want the children to sleep on the way. Sometimes they seem almost doubtful, as if they might fall asleep and we won’t really arrive at the snow or at Papa’s house. Can a child take it on faith that when they wake up they won’t be back home? I reassure them, “I need you to take a nap. Everyone close your eyes. When you wake up we will be there. Please trust Mommy.”

I find two things very comforting. One, that when my faith wavers I am in good company. And secondly, the fact that I doubt doesn’t send me away from Jesus’ side or cause Jesus to shake His head in dismay and say, “I think I made a wrong choice in choosing her as my disciple.” In the case of Thomas it was exactly the opposite. The question drew Jesus closer with an offer to touch and experience His reality.We are invited by Jesus’ Himself to not just have faith, but to experience Him for ourselves.

All these thoughts have been recently inspired by a song by a friend, Flo Paris. Part of it goes: “But who's to say I wouldn’t pour all of my gold into the fire, just so that I could have God that my eyes could behold? And who’s to say I wouldn’t reach into your side if I had been there, just so that I could feel the wound and know that you are real?”

The whole business of the Christian life, I think, can be boiled down to two things: Experiencing the reality of God for ourselves and learning to trust Him.