This word has been messing with me. I’ve done the concordance search. I’ve defined the word. And yet I’ve been sitting and staring at this word for a bit. And this occurs to me:
“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. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.”
Psalms 27:4-6 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/psa.27.4-6.NASB1995
David. So grateful for this entire Psalm, but right here, we know David’s sin. YET, we read words such as these, his heart was the Father’s. This is what he asked for from God. to dwell with God. to behold HIS beauty. Declaring triumph in God’s name. So David sings. Shouts! Glory to the Lord.
This is a heart issue. Keep in mind, Philippians 4:8 and remember what we are to dwell upon. So far, we’ve touched on true, honorable and just. Pure. This is also to be our focus. The search throughout the word brings us to pure today.
James 3 frames it well.
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
James 3:17-18 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.17-18.NASB1995
What draws me to psalm 27? David’s request. it’s pure. he wants to gaze upon the Lord. This is wisdom from above. Our hearts can’t manufacture this desire. It is God given. Behold Him. The heart…
““The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.”
Jeremiah 17:9-10 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jer.17.9-10.NASB1995
The Lord knows our hearts, our “natural proclivities”. Yet, here’s what I’m discovering about dwelling. Dwelling on…
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
James 3:17-18 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.17-18.NASB1995
My deeds reflect the state of my heart. My ways highlight the work or lack thereof. The more I fill my heart with wisdom from above, replacing intrusive thoughts or worries or anxiety, the more my life reflects these words of God.
I can’t be pure on my own strength. I also can’t pretend to be filled with the Spirit. I’m not that good. We all naturally bend towards…
“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.”
James 3:14-16 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.14-16.NASB1995
That’s the truth. It’s also a red flag when i start to head down such paths. It’s time for me to stop. Stop the spiral. Take a deep breath and ask myself, where am I? Where are my thoughts?
Dwelling on the word of God. Dwelling on prayer. Dwelling on pure wisdom from the God of the universe. All else is just sinking sand.
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