If You Could Ask God To Do Just One More Thing, What Would It Be? Series

The question: Have you ever watched Columbo?

He was a great detective - and he, like me, always asked a lot of questions.

And often just when the person he was speaking to thought Columbo was finished with his questions, Columbo would often open his mouth and say:

just one more thing.

So that leads me to the next question for you: If you could ask God for just one more thing what would it be?

This morning I want us to consider Psalm 27 together, this psalm of David is a prayer.

A prayer in which David asks God for just one thing.

Listen to Psalm 27 from the Message:

1Light, space, zest—that’s God!

So, with Him on my side I’m fearless, afraid of no one and no thing.

2When vandal hordes ride down ready to eat me alive,Those bullies and toughs fall flat on their faces.

3 When besieged, I’m calm as a baby.

When all hell breaks loose, I’m collected and cool.

4 I’m asking God for one thing, only one thing:

To live with Him in his house my whole life long.

I’ll contemplate His beauty; I’ll study at His feet.

5 That’s the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world,

The perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic.

6 God holds me head and shoulders above all who try to pull me down.

I’m headed for His place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already I’m singing God-songs; I’m making music to God.

7-9 Listen, God, I’m calling at the top of my lungs:

“Be good to me! Answer me!”

When my heart whispered, “Seek God,” my whole being replied, “I’m seeking him!”

Don’t hide from me now!

9-10 You’ve always been right there for me; don’t turn your back on me now.

Don’t throw me out, don’t abandon me; you’ve always kept the door open.

My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in.

11-12 Point me down your highway, God; direct me along a well-lighted street; show my enemies whose side you’re on.

Don’t throw me to the dogs, those liars who are out to get me, filling the air with their threats.

13-14 I’m sure now I’ll see God’s goodness in the exuberant earth.

Stay with God! Take heart. Don’t quit.

I’ll say it again: Stay with God.

We live in a difficult world.

We experience difficult situations and difficult circumstances.

Big problems and little problems, the economy, Ebola, Iraq, food prices, illness, even the weather causes grief at times.

The Bible tells us that even in the midst of the turmoil we and others may experience in our lives that God is good and we can always trust Him

The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

But often that is easier for us to read than it is to live out in our daily lives.

When we pray, we want God to give us instant solutions.

When we pray, we want instant freedom from anxiety.

When we pray, we want something to happen that will relieve us of our fears, something instant to reassure us that God is listening to our prayer.

When we pray we want a guaranteed instant response from God that will transform the situation and give us perfect peace in our hearts the moment we say Amen.

But God’s timing is not our timing.

Often we need to wait. Often we need to pause.

Often we need to spend time trusting before God moves in our situation and circumstance.

Some people don’t like to wait for God.

Some people get impatient and try to force God’s hand.

Other people may look for security or reassurance elsewhere.

But aside from God there are no solutions that can really give us peace in every situation.

God is Good and God is Faithful and Psalm 27 is a prayer of David that reminds us that God is faithful.

God can be trusted in every situation, in every circumstance.

Psalm 27 effectively tells us to Seek the Face of God in every situation - to focus on the faithfulness and goodness of God in every circumstance.

King David has confidence in God and even in the midst of terrible circumstances his focus is on God.

God is his light, his salvation, and his fortress.

David turns his face to God and lives in His presence. He listens to God’s voice.

David has confidence in God and he sings with joy.

In the midst of his troubles he knows God will never forsake him, he knows God will always guide him.

David knows that even when he has to wait patiently for God to answer his prayer, he can be confident he will see the Lord’s goodness.