King David says in Psalm 27:4, “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek” (אַחַת שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאֵת־יְהוָה אוֹתָהּ אֲבַקֵּשׁ). Notice that David asked for just one thing – not many things. He did not come with a litany of requests. He was not “double minded.” David realized that what is most important is to have a seeking a heart, or rather, a heart that seeks that which is most important, and therefore he asked for the gift of focus and the pursuit of truth. He desired the “pearl of great price.” Note further that the verb translated “I will seek” (avakesh) comes from the root word bakash (בָּקַשׁ) meaning “to wish” or “to desire.” The verse could therefore be read as, “The one thing I ask from the Lord is for godly desire – for the will to “behold the sweetness of the Lord, and to inquire in His Presence.” This is a prayer for the highest we may attain. The “one thing” David asked for was a heart made alive to perceive the wonder of God.
So what do you value and love the most? What determines the direction of your heart? Augustine of Hippo said “my love is my gravity,” by which he meant that his desire draws him forth and reveals who is really is. What you love — your desire, your heart’s longing, your treasure, is your ultimate concern and what you secretly worship. “All who ask receive; all who seek find” (Matt. 7:7). Since not all matters of love are equally able to satisfy the true needs of the heart, however, we must be careful about what we desire and what we are seeking, for what you seek, you will find.
What we desire “bekhol levavkha” changes us; it affects us deeply; it takes us on a journey and ultimately manifests who we are. The more we love God, the more godly we will become, though the more we love pleasures and worldly matters, the more vain and empty we will become… The question is constantly being asked of our hearts – what do you really love? Be aware of what you are seeking, friend, for that will become your destiny…
Hebrew Lesson:
