Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 27:4
“One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall 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 meditate in His temple.” – Psalm 27:4
David here is speaking about what he considers most important in his life. Remember as we go through this verse that he is king over Judah, essentially having access to anything he desires. However, as we go through these verses, we see what his focus truly is. First, let us look at the three verses prior to our focus verse. “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?” Psalm 27:1. He starts here by saying that the Lord is the source of his light and his salvation. The Word of the Lord is his light, it is what helps him understand and be at peace. He is also the source of his salvation and deliverance. And because of this, he does not afraid of anyone or anything. God is the one who goes before him and protects him.
Then he declares, “When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.” Psalm 27:2-3. He has confidence that whoever or whatever comes against him, it will fail. His adversaries will stumble and be defeated by the God who protects him. And though an army would come against him, attacking him in order to defeat him, he has complete confidence that God is on his side and will fight the battles for him. His confidence is in God. He trusts Him completely such that he can stay at peace.
And because of the above, he desires to be where God is at all times. He seeks this by asking God to allow him to always remain in His presence. This is the great desire of David’s heart. First, that he would always be where God is, that God would never leave or forsake him, and that he would be in a place where he would hear His words, that his mind and thoughts would ever be on the Lord. But also, that he could behold the beauty of the Lord. This is not necessarily speaking of seeing Him. The idea of beauty in this verse is referring to pleasantness and splendor, then His grace and favor; essentially His beautiful attributes that describe and show how truly wonderful He is. Then, after he leaves this life, David desires to live for eternity in His presence there as well, to enjoy the favor and beauty of God. From the moment where he is, David desires to, going forward, be where God is, to enjoy and be in fellowship with Him that never ends.
After looking at this verse more closely, this is how I feel. I never want to experience being where God is not. I want to be in constant fellowship with Him, and to enjoy His beauty and splendor forever; both here and in the life to come. I pray this is your desire as well. For there is nothing better than being in the presence of God no matter what.
William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.