the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Discovering Christ Day by Day
Today’s Reading: Psalms 22-30
“One thing have I desired of the Lord.”
Psalms 27:4
The Psalms we have read today are full of our Savior. How good it is to be reminded of our redemption by Christ, of our great Substitute’s sufferings, and the glory that followed in Psalms 22. In Psalms 23 our hearts are cheered by the knowledge of Christ our good Shepherd, who watches over, provides for, and protects us. The 24th Psalm tells us of our mighty Sovereign, the King of Glory, who rules the universe for our everlasting benefit.
Let us lift up our souls to God, the Triune Jehovah, and ask him to show us his ways and lead us in his paths (Psalms 25), as we seek to know, follow, and serve our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom David spoke prophetically in Psalms 26. He alone could declare to God his integrity as the basis upon which he would be judged of God. This he pleads effectually as our Representative.
Psalms 27, 28 are songs of faith, offering prayer and praise to the Lord. They are songs of sweet communion with our God. These precede the celebration of God’s great sovereignty in Psalms 29 and his great goodness in the salvation he has bestowed upon us in Christ. He has turned our mourning into dancing and girded us with gladness.
Like David, let us set our hearts upon “one thing,” seek that to the exclusion of all other things; and let the “One Thing” we seek be the Lord Jesus Christ himself. — Give me Christ, O God, and I will ask no more.
One Object
If I understand the aim and purpose of the gospel, it is just this: — It is to cause all the capacities, powers, talents, ambitions, and affections of our hearts to be concentrated upon one object and to beat with one pulse for that object. And that one object upon which our hearts must be fixed is the Son of God, our blessed Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, that God would graciously cause you and me to have one solitary object possessing our beings! Oh, that God the Holy Ghost would cause our hearts to burn with desire for nothing but Christ! This is my prayer, “Lord, compel me by whatever means necessary, by the irresistible power and grace of your Spirit, to set my heart upon Christ alone.”
A Choice
I know this: — You and I must choose what we will seek and what we will serve. It will either be Christ and the cause of his glory in this world, or it will be the world and the lusts of our own flesh. We cannot serve both. And we cannot have both. — “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). — “Choose you this day whom ye will serve” (Joshua 24:15).
Will I serve Christ or self? Will I seek Christ, or the lusts of my flesh? This is a choice that is made at the beginning of the walk of faith. But it is also a choice that is made day by day in every believer’s experience. And the older we get, the longer we live in this world, the more difficult it is to renounce the world, say no to the flesh, take up our crosses daily, and follow Christ. But it must be done! — “Seek ye first,” above all else, to the exclusion of all else, “the kingdom of God,” the rule of Christ in your heart, “and his righteousness,” the righteousness of Christ by faith; and all other things will be supplied by your heavenly Father (Matthew 6:33). — “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth” (Matthew 6:19). Earthly treasures of every kind are vanity. Do not set your heart upon vanity! Set your heart upon Christ
One Thing Desired
The man after God’s own heart desired and sought but “one thing” from the Lord. — “That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” David desired to dwell in the conscious awareness of Christ’s manifest presence, in sweet communion on earth and perfect communion in heaven. — “To behold the beauty of the Lord,” by faith here, and face to face hereafter. — “And to inquire in his temple,” to be taught and directed by his Spirit, and to be taught perfectly in his glorious presence.
One Thing Needful
In Luke 10:42 our Lord said to Martha, “One thing is needful.” It is true; we live in this world with many cares and responsibilities, which we must not neglect. Yet, even in this world, only one thing is needful. And that one thing is Christ. “Martha was cumbered about much serving.” Martha was “careful and troubled about many things.” How sad! Mary chose one thing. Mary sought one thing. The one thing Mary sought is the one thing needful — Christ Jesus. Mary “sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.” How blessed!
One Thing Known
In John 9:25 the blind man, whose sight had been restored by the power of God, said, “One thing I know.” He knew that once he was blind; and he knew who caused him to see. That was enough. If you see the things of God, you know who caused you to see. Like the blind man, you lay all praise at the feet of Christ. If you know this one thing, you know enough.
One Thing Done
In Philippians 3:13 the Apostle Paul said, “One thing I do.” We have not yet attained perfection, or even come close. We have not yet won the prize we seek, perfect conformity to Christ. But this one thing we must do, — “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,” we must “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” We must persevere, expending every effort, using every means, seeking the Lord Jesus Christ, until at last we are found in him, righteous, perfectly holy, perfectly conformed to our blessed Savior in body, soul, and spirit by the grace of God. — Then “shall I be satisfied, when I awake in thy likeness” (Psalms 17:15).
