We know that when a matter is mentioned as “one thing” it is the most important thing. No one would be careless to mention anything as “the one thing”.
The Bible says about one thing. One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I 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 inquire in His temple. ( Psalm 27:4 NKJV) Here we read that the one thing, the most important matter is to desire to dwell in the Lord’s temple all days of our life. And while we are there, in God’s temple, to be able to contemplate and see the beauty of the Lord as well as enquire and find out matters, search and know God’s will in our live situations.
We know that Ordo you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV) When we recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in our body and have a lifestyle of awareness of this truth, our body is the very temple referred to earlier.
Often we live a life not recognizing our body as the temple of God. If it were so we would be careful with the thoughts, words, and actions expressed, and considered by us.
We also know that the first thing we intend to do in any situation or circumstance is the most important thing. In Mathew, 6th chapter, we have this verse. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). We are reminded that the most important thing we should seek is the Kingdom of God.
In any kingdom, the Kings, the Kings will reign. Thus in God’s Kingdom, His will reigns. In His kingdom, there is no sorrow, no pain, no sickness, no anxiety, no worry, no anger, no hatred, no lie, no backbiting, no envy, no jealousy.
“The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
So we can have the Kingdom of God within us, the temple of the Holy Spirit, when we recognize and have a life thirsting and yearning for the presence of the Holy Spirit. We remove everything displeasing to the Holy Spirit from our lives as a default choice.
Even our homes can be the Kingdom of God’s territory. For that matter, anywhere we are conscience and invite His presence we have the privilege to host His presence.
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV)
Where God’s presence is there, it is His Kingdom, as His will reigns in that place.
In spite of these blessings which are beyond comprehension, righteousness, peace, and joy.
We also have the great opportunity of beholding the beauty of the Lord, asking and seeking His counsel, vast majority of Christians do not seek and desire these great treasures.
“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.(Matthew 18:19-20 NKJV)
We do not get to the place where we get these unique precious treasures unless we zealously seek His Kingdom as the one thing and as the first thing. This essentially means we should reject everything else as a lesser priority in our lives every hour and every day, every opportunity, every circumstance.
We can see the Kingdom of God expand from within us to around us and everywhere we go if we have the one thing and as the first thing. The decisions for these can be taken only when we are zealously pursuing the Lord, His presence, and His Kingdom.
We have a very unique incident mentioned in the Bible about being zealous for God.
The Israelites were on their way in the wilderness from Egypt to the promised land. They reached Acacia Grove, then the people started having extramarital affairs with Moabite women. At first, they accepted invitations to their festival, once they reached there, they were given offerings consecrated to the idols. Thus in all these actions, the people of Israel who went to these festivals joined themselves with the deity of Baal of Peor. Our Lord God hated and was angered with these people who fell to the evil schemes of the Moabite women and their gods.
Subsequently, the Lord addressed Moses, saying, “Hang the transgressors in the open before the Lord, so that the Lord’s wrath may be diverted from Israel.”
Thus, Moses commanded the Israelite judges, “Kill the men who were joined to Baal of Peor, every one of you.”
One of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the Tabernacle of meeting.
After noticing it, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the priest Aaron, stood up from the assembly and brandished a javelin. He then pursued the Israelites and forced them into the tent, piercing both of them through the body. Thus, the children of Israel were spared the plague. It was twenty-four thousand that perished in the plague.
From Numbers 25, we see from verses 10 to 13, the blessing the Lord declared to Phinehas and his descendants – The Lord’s covenant of Peace and everlasting priesthood. All because Phinehas was zealous for God.
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel because he was zealous with My zeal among them so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.’ (Numbers 25:10-13 NKJV)
That is another sweet blessing for being zealous for God, being zealous for God’s will and His purposes.
The choice is left to us. If we would speak up or remain silent when it comes to the matters which are dear to the Lord’s heart. Or would we choose to remain silent? Do we choose to be zealous?
Decisions are best made much before the circumstances that demand a choice arise.
May the Lord bless you with His covenant of peace.
