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Well, I have something on my heart, and again, this is not something that comes for just sitting down and putting a sermon together. It comes out of my own personal devotion, and I have ministered at this before, but I don't know if I've ever shared it at Redeeming Grace Church.
But it's something I put together, and I found myself clinging to this word, especially if you're going through a very difficult time in your life and a trial. It's called one thing. Those two words, one thing, found in the Bible, found in the Word of God, more than anything else in this world.
Let me begin by some questions for all of us here. What one thing do you desire? What one thing do you desire? Let me ask the question this way as well, and another way. What do you desire from your heart, in your heart of hearts?
Who can you honestly say has first place? Or what has first place? Your first love, as Jesus mentioned to the church of Ephesus in Revelation. What one thing do you seek after? What one thing do you seek after?
Does the Lord Jesus Christ have preeminence? Does He have first place in every area of your life? Are there any places? Here's something else I thought of that searches my own heart. How about the caverns of your heart, your secret rooms, the secret chambers of your heart within?
Have you truly surrendered each cavern, each part of your heart to His control? Another question would be, if God would ask you one thing in your life, what do you desire? What do you desire? What would you desire?
Who would you desire more than anything else? What would be the answer? Well those are just questions I like to start off with, and I like to begin with a real live scenario that took place in history in 1 Kings chapter 3.
If you turn with me there very quickly, I think this is a great, great reminder of us that God did appear to Solomon, David's son. He appears to Solomon, and I believe this really helps us captivate and take in what is being said.
If you look at verse 3, 1 Kings chapter 3, this is the word of God, and Solomon loved Yahweh, walking in the statutes of his father, David, except he sacrificed burnt incense on the high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place.
Notice the place of sacrifice was a great high place. Solomon offered 1 ,000 burnt offerings on that altar, 1 ,000 burnt offerings, could you imagine? And Gibeon, Yahweh, appeared to Solomon in a dream at night, and God said, ask what I should give to you.
Imagine God coming to you, ask what should I give to you? Then Solomon said, you have shown great loving kindness to your slave, David my father, according to how he walked before you in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward you, and you have kept for him this great loving kindness, and that you have given him a son to sit on his throne as it is this day.
So now, oh Yahweh my God, you have made your slave king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child. Listen to that. There's some humility in that. Yet I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.
And your slave is in the midst of your people which you have chosen, a numerous people who are too many to be numbered or counted. So give your slave a listening heart to judge your people, to discern between good and evil.
For who is able to judge this glorious people of yours? And notice what it says in verse 10, and it was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. It pleased God. And God said to him, because you have asked this thing, keep that in mind, that this thing you have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but you have asked for yourself discernment to listen to justice, to listen.
Behold I have done according to your words. God's already answered the prayer, his desire. Behold I have given you a wise and discerning heart, that instant, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.
And I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there would not be any among the kings like you all your days. Now if you walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and commandments as your father David walked, I will prolong your days.
Then Solomon awoke, behold, and behold it was a dream, and he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings, and made peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
What a wonderful story, but think of it, the one thing that God asked him, and God did ask him according to verse 5, ask what I should give to you, and I believe it was pleasing to the Lord, and that's what the word of God says, it pleased him that he would have wisdom to judge and to discern his people.
What a wonderful, wonderful request from God. Think of it, God came to you this day in a dream. What would you have, what would you answer? Well I think wisdom is a great, really a great answer there, it's really very fitting.
Really, and I like to begin right there as a foundation of this pleased the Lord of this one thing that he did ask him, and James actually tells us in chapter 1 verse 5 through 8, but if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, that's what Solomon did, he asked of God, he gave it to him, he gives to all generously, notice this, generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him, but James gives a little warning here inside, he says, but he must ask in faith, I like that, in faith, doubting nothing, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind, for that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double minded man, unstable in all of his ways, so really the motivation is faith, faith.
The just shall live by faith, we're going to look at that tomorrow morning, but that's a whole sermon in itself isn't it? I believe it's by faith, for he that comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that believes in him, it's by faith, it's impossible to please God unless we have faith, faith, amen, faith.
God is a rewarder, notice he rewarded Solomon, because he asked in faith, I really believe that, well there you have the foundation of this and we see that faith is not passive but faith is active, it's active in seeking God and as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ that seeks after the Lord and as we know only believers can seek after God because God has first sought us, a non-believer doesn't seek God, right?
None seeks God, I like what R .C. Sproul says, people say they're seeking God, they're not really seeking God for himself, they're seeking God for the benefits and that's usually the way the case is because people that are lost are selfish, they're not wanting God himself and Solomon really was not selfish because that's just what pleased God, he wanted wisdom and notice what he said, your people are great, numbered and counted, too numerous that you have chosen, so give your slave a listening heart, I love that don't you, a listening heart to judge your people to discern between good and evil, for who is able to judge this glorious people of yours?
And so you have there the ministration of Solomon and you have his reign technically begins and then, wow, he's tested right from the get-go as you know the story from verse 16 of this chapter all the way to verse 28 about the two women situation I think would be pretty tough for any of us, both were claiming the child and of course you know the answer that Solomon gives, let's just split the child right in two, but he knew what wisdom, who would have thought of that, to split that child right in two and we'll see who the mother is, that's it, she cried out and the real mother was revealed, such wisdom, you know, who would have ever thought that?
Well God gave him wisdom. Well what I'd like to focus on here is what is the one thing, the one thing that Solomon said, the one thing that scripture speaks of and I want to focus in and the reason I mention this to each and every one of us brothers today is to help us get refocused, not to have our visions clouded because there are so many distractions in this world, I don't know about you, so many distractions, I find myself being so busy throughout the week and sometimes my mind is not where it should be, it should be on the thoughts of God and Christ and I see distractions and even doing good things at work and then there's other things that are taking place that just bombards us, trying to distract us from what really matters.
Jesus said, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things come into place, they will follow, don't worry about that. What one thing should we seek? Well, I really believe that the answer lies in the Word of God and I started right there in Kings because I thought wisdom, it was a great place to start because Lord give us wisdom, give us heavenly wisdom.
Well what does the Word of God say about the one thing? There's many, many scriptures I like to go but here's just a few that came to my mind. The first thing is desire to see or to behold the beauty of the Lord.
Amen. Psalm 27, go to Psalm 27 and in regards to that, what is God's beauty? His holiness. Amen, His holiness. What did Jesus say about seeing God? Matthew 5, 8, Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
Now my question is this and something for you to give you some homework, is Jesus referring to seeing God in this present life or in the life to come? Both. Amen. That's what I believe Brother Keith. Because now it's a walk of faith, we're born from above, here on this journey and as soon as regeneration takes place, that's when it begins.
And then we ultimately see God face to face in the future when we're glorified. But the promise is now and the future. It's kind of like the kingdom of God. You know the kingdom of God is here but yet is to come.
To behold the beauty of the Lord, to see God in purity and holiness. But our heart, I don't know about you, this is my battle, this is your battle. Our heart is stained and we're still dealing with this fallen nature because we're redeemed but we're redeemed in this flesh that's not redeemed.
That's the problem. That's Roman 7, right? Well, notice what Psalm 27, this is my first point. Desiring the first thing, the one thing that David desired was to behold God. Yahweh. Look at verse 4. One thing I have asked from Yahweh.
Now he's asking something from the Lord. That I shall seek. That I shall seek. That I may dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life to behold the beauty of Yahweh and to inquire in his temple.
David penned this Psalm on the occasion of his escape from the Philistines and his desire to express that he should go no more out to war but his one pursuit, his one desire shows us, demonstrates his earnest longing, his innermost being, his yearning to return to his own homeland that he might enjoy the benefits and the blessing of beholding God.
To behold God in the sanctuary. Listen to David's heart's desire. One thing. Underscore that. One thing that he pursued and he loved more than anything else in this world. Look at Psalm 26 .8. Psalm 26 .8 says, Oh Yahweh, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.
He wanted to be where God's glory was. If you look at Psalm 65 .4. Another verse. Psalm 65 .4. How blessed is the one whom you choose and bring near to you. Notice what he says. That he would dwell in your courts.
Your courts. And we will be satisfied with the goodness of your house. Your holy temple. He wanted to be where God was. I don't know about you. I want to be where God is. That's my desire. More than anything else.
That should be the one thing. One thing I have asked from the Lord, Yahweh, that I shall seek. We have to seek it. Jesus said it. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. That's the ultimate priority.
In other words, David desired God's presence. He desired God's holiness. He desired God's glory more than anything else in this entire world. One thing I have desired of the Lord. One thing. I looked this up and I went to a commentator, Sir Richard Baker.
Listen to what he says about this. I think this is going to bless you. He says this on this verse. Seeing David would make but one request to God, why would he not make a greater? For alas, what a poor request is this?
To dwell in God's house? And what to do? But only to see? To see what? But only a beauty? A fading thing at most? But to inquire what is inquiring? But only to hear news? A vain fancy? And what cause in any of these why David should make it his request to God?
But, he says, oh my soul, what goes with it? What goes with it? Take it all together to behold the beauty of the Lord. The beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple. And tell me if there be, if there can be any greater request to be made?
Any greater cause to be earnest about it? For though worldly beauty be a fading thing, yet the beauty of the Lord shall continue when the world shall fade away. And though inquiring after news to be a vain fancy, yet to inquire in God's temple is the way to learn there is no new thing under the sun.
And there was that Solomon learned that all is vanity. Indeed, this one thing, this one thing that David desired is in effect that he says, unum necessarum, that one thing necessary. That one thing necessary that Christ speaks of in the gospel, which makes choice there.
One thing necessary as soon as David does here. End quote. Let me give you another quote. Charles Spurgeon. You'll love what Spurgeon says about this verse. He says, this verse divided aims, ten distractions, weakness, disappointment.
The man of the book is eminent. The one book. The one book. Man of one pursuit is successful. Let our affections be bound up in one affection. And that affection set upon heavenly things. David desired above all things to be one of the household of God, a home born child, living at home with his father.
It's like the prodigal coming home. Spurgeon goes on to say, this is our dearest wish. Only we extend it to those days of our immortal life, which have yet dawned. We pine for our father's house above the home of our souls.
If we may but dwell there forever, we care but little for the goods or ills of this poor life. What a day would that be when every faithful follower of Jesus shall behold the king in his beauty. Oh, for that infinitely blessed vision.
Amen? That's what Spurgeon said about that. That one thing that David says, I have asked from the Lord that I shall see. One thing. One thing. Well, I thought of another one thing. Go with me to, yes, go with me to Luke chapter ten.
Verse fourteen. Yes. Because, notice the commentator, Sir Baker, refers to this. He speaks about that one thing in Luke ten. And it's a story, and it's only actually five verses that gives the story. But, oh, it's so loaded up here in these five verses.
Verse thirty-eight, chapter ten of Luke. Now as they were traveling along, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home, and she had a sister called Mary. Oh, that would be like Mary, right?
Who was also seated at the Lord's feet. Notice where she is. She's at the most blessed place, listening to his word. But Martha was distracted with all of her preparations. Notice that. She was distracted.
How many times are we like Martha? And, you know, the Lord doesn't rebuke Martha here after a while, as we will see for her serving. He rebukes her that she's covered about with other things that distracts her.
It's not the serving. She's distracted with all her preparations, the scripture says. And she came up to him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the preparations alone?
She's frustrated. She says, I need help. And then tell her to help me. Isn't it amazing? Here she, in her boldness, says, Lord, tell her to help me. In other words, she's at her feet, and she's almost seeing her, what she's doing is like, she's doing nothing, but she was doing something.
She was doing that, what we're about to see, that one thing is necessary. But the Lord answered and said to her, Martha, Martha. You can almost hear Jesus saying that in such a gentle way. Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only one thing.
There it is. One thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her. She has chosen the good part. She has chosen, what did Mary choose? To sit at the feet of Jesus.
To worship Jesus. Brothers, this we must choose. This is the best. It's not only the good, it is the best. The good, the best, and it shall not be taken away from her. And that one thing was, she chose to sit at the feet of Jesus, listening to the Master's voice.
Amen? Well, there is another. I could say much more about that, but that's a sermon in itself, isn't it? It is beautiful. There is another one. I think this is a good one. It's a rich young ruler. And I like to say, what one thing, if it was David that desired the presence of the Lord, the beauty of the Lord, to behold God, and it was Mary that desired to sit at the feet of Jesus, what about this rich young ruler?
Well, actually the one thing was his lacking. He was lacking. What did he lack? Well, let's take a look. Go with me to Mark, it's gospel, and we will read the story. Now, I try to get through that as fast as I can, but listen to the rich young ruler in verse 17.
I'm going to read it, then I will comment afterwards. And in verse 17, he was, as he was setting out on a journey, speaking of Jesus, a man ran up to him and knelt before him. Notice his posture. He's really, he's doing something here.
He's really putting on, but Jesus knows exactly what he's doing. And he began asking him. He knelt before him in front of the Lord and the disciples, was watching, and he began asking him, good teacher, notice what he says there, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Jesus said to him, why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments? Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother, and the rest of the commandments that Jesus quoted there.
It deals with our actions with one another. It's, it's the, it's the horizontal, not the vertical. Jesus goes to the horizontal because the horizontal reveals the vertical. And he said to him, teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth.
And he's already lied, of course. He's already, he's deceived. And looking at him in verse 21, Jesus loved him. I love that, don't you? Jesus loved him and said to him, now Jesus says these two words I'm pointing out today, one thing you lack, one thing you lack, go and sell all you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come and follow me.
Notice the results. Verse 22, at these words he was saddened and he went away grieving for he was one who owned much property. Jesus and Jesus looking around said to his disciples, what a lesson. Jesus makes a lesson out of this man.
How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter into the kingdom of God. And the disciples were amazed at his words, but Jesus answered again and said to them, children, you can almost hear it in Jesus's tone, children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God.
It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And then they were even more astonished saying to him, then who can be saved? And I love what Jesus says, looking at them, Jesus said, with people it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.
Let's keep that at the forefront of our eyes. This man had something lacking and that was full surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ. What was he lacking? True repentance, that's what he was lacking.
But let's look at a little bit here because I don't have much time left, but Jesus challenges eager, he challenges this eager seeker. The lord and master gives this young man a test. He's testing him.
He fails the test. Now very quickly, again, this is a whole sermon, but I think there's some things we need to see here. Let me give you a really good comment from pastor John MacArthur, and you can read this in more detail out of his classic book he wrote, The Gospel According to Jesus.
This is what MacArthur says, no matter what points of doctrine he might affirm, because he was unwilling to turn from what else he loved most, he could not be a disciple of Christ. Salvation is only for those who are willing to give Christ first place in their lives.
First place. So, what went wrong with this young eager seeker after Christ? What went wrong? Well, the text tells us. Here's another question. Why did he seem to start so well, yet turn away from Jesus without receiving eternal life?
MacArthur notes he seemed to have the right motive and the right attitude. He came to the right person. He came to the right source. Listen to that. Isn't that scary? People, they can go to the right place.
They can go to the right person, the right source. He even asked the right questions, but he went away lost. This is me. He went away just as lost as he came. Such horrific tragedy, and we see this in our generation today, how many people are so deceived, thinking that they're okay, but they're heading to hell.
One thing Jesus said, one thing you lack. What was that? Jesus answered, go and sell all you possess and give to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Come and follow me. In these words, he was saddened.
He went away grieving because he owned much property. Jesus again made a lesson out of him. This one thing this rich young ruler lacked was really true repentance. He did not confess his sin. Notice this, and this is the thing about people.
I see this when people, and you know what I'm talking about, brothers, you talk to people. They think they're okay. They will bring up all their good works. They will bring this up and this up, but those things don't save them.
This man here really thought he really kept the law. You notice he never confessed his sin. He never owned up to his guilt. He never said, woe is me for I'm undone. He did not say, I'm the one that needs prayer.
God have mercy upon me and didn't smote his breast, did he? He was self-righteous. MacArthur says this, a false Christian is the hardest to reach. That's so true. What did he not do? He did not submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ.
He was full of pride. He tried to impress Jesus by saying he observed the law. He was trying to flatter. Jesus knew his heart. He knew his, he knows our heart. He acknowledged no sense of having violated God's command.
Did you notice that? Not one time did he say, no, I violated murdering, committing adultery, stealing, bearing false witness, defrauding, honoring your father and mother. He didn't confess up to that.
He didn't see his sin. He really thought he was a good person. He didn't acknowledge his transgression. Beloved self-righteousness, as you well know of, pride is the root sin. And keep in mind, pride is what turned an archangel into a devil.
This young rich young ruler thought he was good. He thought he was righteous before God. He believed he obeyed the law. He thought he had kept the code of conduct, so to speak. He had no idea how far away he was from God.
And there he was, Jesus challenges him. So he failed the test, didn't he? He challenged his claim. Jesus challenged him, having kept the law. And in fact, Jesus told the young man, you say you love your neighbor as yourself, okay.
If you really love your neighbor, then give everything you got away. Jesus knew where his heart was. And Jesus said, where your heart is, your treasure will be also. If you really do want to have eternal life and follow me, Jesus said, if you really love your neighbor, so it shouldn't be a problem to give all that away.
Well, Jesus is the searcher of our hearts, isn't he? And he knows how to test our motives. And now aren't you glad he tests us? I'm so thankful that this book puts me to the test and searches my heart because I wouldn't know.
You wouldn't know. That's why it says to examine ourselves to see whether we're in the faith. So the ultimate test was whether this man would obey the Lord, really. And as brother Stephen read last week, to obey is better than sacrifice.
The test, true faith. Are you willing to do what I want you to do? Jesus is basically saying, do it with all your heart, with the right motive. Well, there's much more can be said about that, but that's the one thing he was lacking.
Well, if David, one thing he wanted is to behold the beauty of the Lord and inquire in his temple. And Mary wanted to be at the feet of Jesus, listening to the voice of the master. And this rich young ruler, one thing he was lacking was true repentance.
There is one more I'd like for you to turn to, and I'll give application here. Go to the apostle Paul Philippians chapter three. Keith, I think Keith picked up on my outline here. Praise God. And that's good.
He's following along. He's listening. Thank you, Keith. Don't you love this chapter? Oh my goodness. It is so beautiful. Amen. Let me start. Let me back up because amen, verse eight is really where a lot of this begins.
But notice with me. Yes, let me go to verse seven. Whatever things were gained to me, Paul says, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. You know, what is he talking about gain? He's talking about everything before that.
If you go up above, he was a Pharisee of Pharisees, right? Let me back up. Let me read that. For we are the circumcision who worship in the spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.
Although I myself have confidence, I might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more. He's being sarcastic now. Listen to what he says. I'm circumcised.
The eighth day, the nation of Israel, of the nation of the tribe of Benjamin, of the Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the law of Pharisee. In other words, he's basically saying I was a plus student. He really thought he was something.
He was a Pharisee of Pharisees. Amen. Who's who? And notice what he says, as to zeal, a persecutor of the church. He knew he persecuted the church. That's how zealous he was. And he thought he was doing God's service.
As to the righteousness, which is in the law, found blameless. He really, he was like that rich young ruler, but probably more. Whatever things were gained to me. See, that's what he's saying. Those things were gained to him.
Now it's different. Those things I've counted as lost for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be lost. Those things because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things.
Notice what he says, and I count them but rubbish. There's another translation says manure, dung. And you know what that is. That's what he's saying. All that self-righteousness, Pharisee-ism, and all that learning that he had in the past is nothing compared to Christ, so that I may gain Christ.
And notice what he says, and found in him. We're talking about, I'm talking about this tomorrow, not having a righteousness of my own, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ.
Because the righteousness which is from God upon faith, the righteousness of Christ, we're dressed with that. Paul's saying that's all he needs, and that's the only way to get to God. And here's the purpose.
What happens when justification happens? Sanctification happens. Verse 10, that I may know him in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings. A lot of people leave that out. They want the power of the resurrection, but they want the fellowship of the sufferings, but they go hand in glove.
You don't get the power of the resurrection unless you have the fellowship of the sufferings. Being conformed to his death, in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on.
Brothers, press on. I want to encourage you today, press on. Paul had an all-consuming desire to know Christ like Mary, but I press on so that I may, and like David, that I may lay hold of that for which I also laid hold of by Christ.
In other words, Christ laid hold of me, I lay hold of him, I'm going forward. Brothers, I do not consider myself as having laid hold of it yet. In other words, I haven't arrived. But I'm pressing, I'm seeking, like David said, I'm seeking Mary, I'm listening to the Lord, from the Lord.
Here it is, verse 13, but one thing I do. There's that other thing, one thing. One thing I do. What does he do? Forgetting what lies behind, reaching forward to what lies ahead. What lies ahead? Jesus said it, the joy set before.
We have joy set before us. There's a cross now, there's battles now, there's the church militant now, there's fighting now, there's war, there's, there's, it could be all-consuming sometimes, brothers, and I'm telling you, it's a battle and it's a fight, there's losses, there's hurts, there's hardships.
We're going to go through it. Jesus never promised we're not going to go through it. There's a cross, but there's a great reward before us. That's what Paul's saying, and he goes on to say, forgetting what lies behind, reaching forward to what lies ahead, and this is the application.
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Praise His name. Let me close with this from the Valley of Vision. I picked this this morning as I was putting this, the final touches of this devotion together, and I like to close with this, and then we'll have some fellowship together.
Longings After God, page 230, Valley of the Vision. You know how rich this is. Praise God. I like what Tozer says, all you need really is a good Bible, a set of knees, and a good hymnal. Let me, let me add, and the Valley of Vision.
If you got the Valley of Vision, and some knees, and a Bible, and a good hymnal, you're good to go. I feel like Pilgrim. Head to the Celestial City. Packed up with my backpack there, and I got a new backpack.
The old one came off at the cross, right? Listen to what he says, and let's close with this. This is to be our prayer. Longings After God. Do you have this kind of longing? Oh my, it's so good. I don't know who, who wrote this.
It doesn't tell you which one, and I think they would probably want it to be anonymous. My dear Lord, my dear Lord, I love that. So gentle. I can but tell thee that thou knowest I long for nothing but, but thyself.
I long for nothing but thyself. Nothing but holiness. Nothing but union with thy will. Thou hast given me these desires. Thou hast alone canst give me the thing desired, that one thing. My soul longs for communion with thee, for mortification of indwelling corruption, especially pride.
How precious it is, how precious it is to have a tender sense and a clear apprehension of the mystery of godliness, of true holiness. What a blessedness to be like thee. I don't know about you, that's what I desire, amen?
To be like him. To be conformed into the image of Christ. As much as it be possible for a creature to be like its creator. Wow. As much it be possible for a creature to be like its creator. Lord, give me more of thy likeness.
Enlarge my soul. There it is, it comes out of Psalm 119. Enlarge my soul to contain fullness of holiness. Engage me to live more for thee. Help me to be less pleased with my spiritual experiences. And when I feel at ease after sweet communions, teach me, teach me it is far little, too little, I know and do.
That is so deep, isn't it? Blessed Lord, let me climb up near to thee and love and long and plead and wrestle with thee. Impant for deliverance from the body of sin, for my heart is wondering and lifeless.
And my soul mourns to think it should ever lose sight of its beloved. Wrap my life in divine love and keep me ever desiring thee. Always humble and resign to do thy will more fixed on thyself. That I may be more fitted for doing and suffering.
Amen and amen. May it be so, Lord. May it be so. Grant this to all of us here. Lord, enlarge our hearts. Enlarge our souls to contain more of the fullness of your holiness. And help us to be engaged to this one thing, know when Jesus Christ and him crucified, buried, resurrected, and one day glorified with him.
For the joy set before us in Jesus name. Amen.