On a High Rock

The one thing I ask of the Lord—     the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,     delighting in the Lord’s perfections     and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come;     he will hide me in his sanctuary.     He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Psalm 27:4-5 NLT

The one thing.

Those words stood out to me in my quiet time this morning as I read through Psalm 27. It is easy to get distracted from this one thing isn’t it? The one thing David was referring to is abiding with Jesus moment by moment. From morning to night, practicing our awareness of His constant presence in our life. To shelter in Him regardless of the current weather of life’s storms, or the forecast of what “might” be ahead.

Jesus is our one thing. He is it. He is ours forever, and we are His. We belong to Him! (see Romans 14:8) “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33 ESV). The things referred to in Matthew 6:33 are food, clothes, the things that occupy our minds as we consider the future “what if’s.” Over and over again throughout Scripture, Jesus brings us back to the truth that when He is our one thing, all else fades.

I recently returned from a trip to Alaska where my sister and I experienced a 5.3 local earthquake in our hotel room. As the ground and building rocked and rolled, I inwardly prayed that Jesus would keep us safe. It reminded me in those moments when life shakes our peace, Jesus really is our one focus! With weather and earthquakes, it is Jesus who we cry out to. How much more so when we face towering waves of circumstances! “I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8 ESV).

This morning I am enjoying bringing Jesus into my meditation, delighting on His perfections. I am so far off the mark, but because of my life being united with His, I get to wear His robe of righteousness! He forgives all my “mess-ups” and loves me unconditionally. “How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!” (Psalm 147:5 NLT)

His promise to us is that when abiding in Him is the thing we seek most, He will hide us in Himself when troubles come. And they will come. As His presence fills our thoughts, worries subside, and we see ourselves lifted up out of the storm. Our Savior, the storm-silencer, gives us noise canceling headphones. We somehow are able to be in the storm, but we see ourselves situated in a safe place with our Savior, on a high rock.