1 Thing – A Vulnerable Heart

“One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.” Psalm 27:4

Why do you think David made the presence of God his number 1 Thing? 

Here’s what I think! I believe his heart had been made vulnerable. If you read the story of how God called David to be a shepherd king over His people you will quickly notice that the qualifications were upside down compared to our world’s standards. Even the seasoned prophet Samuel was searching for someone tall, dark, and handsome, who had experience and wisdom to lead God’s people over the cruel enemies attacking them. God reminded Samuel that the His credentials are different.

“Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart,” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Crazy thing is Jesse, David’s dad, had his 7 other sons come before Samuel and God kept shaking His head no. God wanted the one with the right heart as greatest of qualification. Finally as an after thought Jesse said there was one more, “he can’t be the one you want, he is the runt of the family, just taking care of stupid sheep!” Ouch!

Right there you see how David’s heart was formed for 1 Thing. In the crucible of a lonely childhood, the youngest of eight brothers, feeling discarded by his father David took his wounded heart and became vulnerable before a Heavenly Father. As an insecure teenager David sought security on a higher heavenly mountain than the hills of Bethlehem. He learned in this season of pain to pick up his harp and express his heart to God in song. He sang of his pain and heaven heard and would turn the pain into praise as God’s presence drew near. You can almost imagine how God gathered the angels around David and pointed out the shepherd boy from Bethlehem giving a concert to the sheep saying, “this is the one I want to lead my people, look at his beautiful vulnerable heart crying out from the depth of his soul for MY presence to help him.”

This story reminds me of a young person who recently got very vulnerable with me and shared struggles and sins that came out of childhood pain. Yet how God used the ache in their heart to drive them to the Cross of Jesus and claim the blood that washed their sin and guilt away. Such love experienced awakened a passionate desire to live the rest of their days in the Father’s presence, in His house.

1 Thing people are those whose hearts have been made vulnerable by sin, struggles, and the pain in life. They have learned to lament and cry out for the presence of one who will forgive and surround them with arms of love forever. 1 Thing people have learned the Father’s house is their true home and are willing to forsake all to live in the identity of being sons and daughters of the King.