Psalm 27:4

“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; 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 enquire in his temple”. Psalm 27:4

In 1st Kings we see that Solomon was a king who had everything going for him. He’d inherited a kingdom that was now at peace with its neighbours, most of whom Israel had subdued; and he had ask for wisdom to rule God’s people well when God had effectively given him an open cheque book to ask for anything he liked. God was pleased with Solomon’s request and as a result, not only grant’s him great wisdom, but also gives Solomon great riches and wealth. However for all of Solomon’s wisdom and wealth, his father David had discovered something that cannot be taught or passed down, but is something only understood by personal experience; and that is that to know God is of greater value than to know anything else. The riches of being in God’s presence outweigh the greatest treasures known to man. Whilst Solomon wanted to serve God well, David simply wanted to know God! Solomon cared about the service for God, David cared about God Himself. This is why David is recorded as being a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22).

It has been said that many Christians are so busy in the service for the King, that forget about the King! Are you allowing you ministry, your work, your God-given responsibilities to keep you from spending time with Him?

How often do we receive a blessing from the LORD only to then allow that blessing to become the very thing that keeps us from God?

Solomon, needing to finance the work of building the Temple, invested time in crafting a deal with Hiram where, in exchange for 20 cities, he would be loaned 120 Talents of gold. How much of Solomon’s time became taken up with this? If only he had given that time to the LORD, just to sit and rest in His presence, how wonderful it would have been when the Queen of Sheba arrived on his doorstep with that exact amount – and as a gift that did not need to be paid back!

Investing time with God will never leave you short in the other areas of your life.

“Our Lord says to be careful only about one thing— our relationship to Him. But our common sense shouts loudly and says, “That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, and I must consider what I am going to eat and drink.” Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing yourself to think that He says this while not understanding your circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things to the point where they become the primary concern of our life. Whenever there are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship to God first”. – Oswald Chambers