Authored by Mary Lucas

Bible verses and reflections:
Sometimes a speaker or teacher will say “If you don’t get anything else from this talk, then remember this ONE THING.” And then they will proceed to say what the most important point was that they wanted to get across.  These words stood out to me as I was thinking about all that we’ve lost lately….jobs, school, church, certain freedoms….and then I thought about the ONE THING that I have not lost…the presence of God in my life.  There is a song by Jesus Culture that emphasizes this ONE THING:
 
Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant through the trial and the change
One thing remains
This one thing remains
Your love never fails, and never gives up
It never runs out on me
Because on and on and on and on it goes
Before it overwhelms and satisfies my soul
And I never, ever, have to be afraid
One thing remains
This one thing remains
 
I began to think about those words (ONE THING) and wondered if they were in the Bible as if God was saying, okay if you don’t get anything else from reading this, then remember this ONE THING.  So, I looked up those words I found different people had discovered one thing:

  1. (David) ONE THING I ask:

One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord   all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)

  1. (disciples) ONE THING I lack:

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Mark 10:21 

  1. (Martha) ONE THING is necessary:

“But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42 (this is the story where Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus rather than busy herself like Martha)

  1.  (blind man given sight) ONE THING I know: 

He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” John 9:25 (this was the man, blind since birth, healed by Jesus and the Pharisees were asking the blind man about the healing, trying to find out if Jesus had sinned by healing on the Sabbath)

  1. (Paul) ONE THING I do:

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)
 
The focus of all these ONE THINGS was knowing God.
 
If you look back through these verses you will discover what these people discovered:
 
Knowing God is at the heart of prayer. (David)
Knowing God is at the heart of surrender. (disciples)
Knowing God is at the heart of service. (Martha)
Knowing God is at the heart of witness. (blind man)
Knowing God is at the heart of ambition. (Paul)
 
Quiet Time Suggestion:  
Perhaps you want to use some of these verses this week (and read the full passage where they come from) and think about the ONE THING that is important.

One Thing

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