THE SPIRITUAL HIGH ACHIEVER
Psalms 27:4-6
4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after;
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.
5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion:
In the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me;
He shall set me up upon a rock.
6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me:
Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy;
I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.[1]
INTRODUCTION
What do Michael Jordan, Steve Jobs, and Walt Disney have in common? Keep in mind that Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, Jobs failed as a leader, and Disney was told he lacked creativity. Despite their challenges and failures, they were all high achievers. We see them as successful examples and the kind of people who turn failing situations around. Each of these were action oriented, visionary, and go getters. They were disciplined, intrinsically motivated, and helpful to others. These high achievers were driven, passionate, and determined. However, all of them were high achievers in the natural. What does it take to be a high achiever spiritually? Well, King David models this in our devotional passage.
For certain, King David was a high achiever. He was an effective shepherd, proven warrior, and passionate musician. David was a successful leader and king who defeated enemies, survived threats, and endured crisis after crisis. These are just a few of David’s earthly kingdom achievements. In addition to his successes in this life, David longed for another success or achievement. His ultimate achievement was spiritual, not natural, as we shall see in Psalms 27.
David starts Psalms 27 affirming his faith in God. He says in verse one that the Lord is his light, salvation, and the strength of his life. David credits the Lord for his joy, deliverance, and protection. In verse two, he acknowledges that his victory over the enemy comes from the Lord. It was the Lord who caused the enemy to stumble and fall. That is, the enemy staggered and was defeated. Kingdom accomplishments and conquering enemies were great achievements for David. Still, he reveals his highest future achievement in verse four. It is in this disclosure that I see the characteristics of the spiritual high achiever.
The first thing David shows us about the spiritual high achiever is he is focused. This found in the first clause of verse four.
Psalms 27:4
4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after;
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.[2]
One thing indicates importance, significance, and value. For David, this one thing is not trivial. He is focusing on it. In fact, his focused is strengthened by his desire. Desire means to ask, request, and longing to have. Spiritual focus is best illustrated by Peter. Peter was walking on water in a storm to get to Jesus. For Peter, Jesus was significant, important, and valued. Peter was longing to get to Jesus. In the list of your priorities, where is Jesus? As long as Peter was focused on Jesus, he was making progress to get to Jesus. However, when Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink. If you are sinking in your relationship with the Lord Jesus, perhaps you are not keeping Him in focus. The good news is Peter regained his focused, cried out to Jesus, and was rescued. How is your spiritual focus? Are you being distracted spiritually? Remember, spiritual high achievers are focused.
The second thing David shows us about the spiritual high achiever is he is a seeker. Spiritual high achievers seek. This truth is also in verse four, the second clause.
Psalms 27:4
4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after;
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.[3]
To seek after means to go after, try to reach, and trying to get to something particular. Our most important seeking is to seek the Lord. Read Isaiah 55:6-7 and look for the what entails seeking the Lord and the blessing of seeking the Lord.
Isaiah 55:6-7
6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found,
Call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts:
And let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him;
And to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.[4]
When we seek the Lord, we call, forsake, and return to Him. The blessing of seeking the Lord includes mercy, pardon, and finding Him. Is your heart going after the Lord? Are you seeking Him daily in prayer, worship, and reading His Word? Spiritual high achievers seek the Lord.
The third and final thing David shows us about the spiritual high achiever is he knows his target. This is also in verse four.
Psalms 27:4
4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after;
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.[5]
David’s highest achievement is to dwell in the Lord’s house. Dwell here means to inhabit, sit, remain, and stay. It also means the place you call home. For David, the ultimate achievement is heaven. His target is God’s glorious dwelling place called heaven. The house of the Lord is glory. In His house, in glory there is no more pain, suffering, trouble, tears, or suffering. There is no more sickness, affliction, or enemy. Some people reject the pie in the sky ideals. However, I am looking forward to the pie in the sky existence. This world is not our home. Be a high achiever and make heaven your target.
David shows us that the spiritual high achiever is focused, seeking, and makes heaven his target. You can be a spiritual high achiever. Receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Focus and seek Him by spending time in prayer, worship, studying His Word, and sharing with others what He has done for you. Serve others by helping to meet their spiritual and natural needs. Finally, treasure eternal life. Live to live again for all of eternity with the Lord Jesus. You may never be famous. However, you can be a spiritual high achiever.
By: Bishop Arthur F. Mosley
English
Spanish