Ps. 27:4 One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:  that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”

I woke up thinking about it.  Something wasn’t right in my relationship with God, but I didn’t know what.  I treasured the Scriptures.  I prayed.  I trusted God for guidance.  But lately my spirit had been restless, impotent to find its desire. Like the treasure-hunter unable to spy the diamond amidst the rubble of other jewels, I could not see God due to unworthy rivals competing for my attention.

Previous times in my journey with Christ worthy endeavors—domestic duties, parenting, friendships, even ministry and Bible study—had dethroned God from His rightful place. Lesser ones like sewing, decorating and reading had done so as well.  Whether old rivals or new, the solution was the same.

God reminded me, as He had Martha in Luke 10:42, that “…only one thing is needful.”  I felt like a spiritual dunce, having to repeat the lesson again.  Nothing compared to experiencing God and I knew that.  Moreover, as the lesser jewels paled when set against the sparkling diamond, my troubles, activities, and dreams faded in the presence of Almighty God.  For the moment I turned my gaze on Him.  For now anyway, my focus was Just One Thing.

By Deborah Simon, Executive Director – GateWay of Hope Ministries