One Thing

I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple.  

Psalm 27:4

Our children are stepping into the adult world day by day. Our daughter is finishing college, and our son has just graduated from high school. They are asking big life questions: Where do I go to college? What do I study? Who do I marry? What is my life work? Most recently, our son asked, “What do I need to be a good husband and father?” These are heavy questions that demand wisdom and courage.

My husband and I, both in our sixties, are asking big questions too: Is it time to retire? What kingdom work does God have for us? Should we move or downsize or stay put? How do we make the most of these later years?

The verse above is the key to all these questions. Don’t you just feel the peace and settled-ness of the Psalmist? He is resting in the Lord’s presence. In seeking the Lord, making Him the focus of our desire, all things will become clear. Similarly, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” In John 15:5, Jesus uses vineyard language: “I am the vine. You are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.”

I am confident that as my children and my husband and I stay connected to the vine, as we seek His Kingdom first, as we rest in His presence, God will give us just enough light to take the next step, and the next, and the next. He seldom reveals the big picture, but by walking in the light He does give, we make our way through a fruitful life with all the decisions that come our way.

Jill Hardin

Unless otherwise notated, all Scripture is from the Christian Standard Bible.