ONE THINGSample

Psalm 27:4 outlines for us the actions and requests from King David toward the Lord. One of these benefits that he is chasing is to be able to GAZE upon the beauty of the Lord.

I once went to the Australian National Museum with my family. We saw a lot of exhibits and displays, paintings and artworks, but there was really only one that I wanted to see. It was Water Lilies by Claude Monet. I managed to allow myself some time to sit in front of that painting, alone, for about 10-15 minutes. And just gaze. It truly is a beautiful artwork.

But how much more beautiful is the Lord!

We know this but often we allow things to cloud our vision and block our view. We also sometimes will only see in the natural instead of seeing with the eye of faith. Abraham and Lot had a similar experience.

Lot saw with his natural eye something that looked pleasing, and chose that part of the valley. But Abraham saw beyond. He saw with faith what he could not see in the natural.

My natural vision is starting to deteriorate. As I get older, my eyesight is getting worse. But for me to be able to see clearly, I must apply a lens over my eye. There are short-sighted lenses and long-sighted lenses. The same applies to our spiritual vision.

We must apply the right lenses to have clear vision.

5 LENSES we need to apply to our vision:

TRUTH - The Lens of Scripture

The more we read, the more we will see. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.

PRESENCE - The Lens of Worship

‌The more we praise, the more our eyes are opened to his glory. We were created to worship God. Our living flows out of that.

PRAYER - The Lens of Relationship

‌When you are close to someone, you have a different perspective than someone who has only heard about them. Relationships, especially with our heavenly Father, are formed by making Him a priority.

PRIORITY - The Lens of Time

‌The way you spend your time reflects your priorities. Do you want to stop and GAZE at the beauty of Jesus?

FAITH - The Lens of Trust

‌All of this comes back to how you view God. Do we trust Him completely?

These 5 lenses are what help us to see and GAZE upon the beauty of the Lord. Away from distraction. Being able to make the ONE THING the most important thing.

Charles Spurgeon says, 'I like, sometimes, to leave off praying, and to sit still, and just gaze upwards till my inmost soul has seen my Lord.'