It's good to think more deeply about the mercies of God in times of crisis. To help guide us in this effort, we'll consider Paul David Tripp's collection of meditations from Psalm 27 called "A Shelter in the Time of Storm." You can get your own copy on Amazon here.

One thing have I asked 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 gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to inquire in his temple.

Psalm 27:4

For many of us, Tripp's opening line of questioning is a punch in the gut. The one that got me was, "Or is your life a picture of a constantly changing narrative of fickle affections careening from one hope to the next?"

I'm certainly guilty of being fickle with hobbies and interests. Are there ways this kind of thinking is sneaking in with more important matters? He's right that we do "live in perpetual pursuit of something" and "are always evaluating your progress toward that thing..."

All of these things can fit neatly into two categories: creator and creation. Living for things in the "creator" category means we're living for things found only in God. This is what it means to "seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness."

At times we get sidetracked by the creation; "all these things" (which are going to be added to the kingdom pursuers) become our focus rather than God and we live for them instead of him. We fool ourselves into believing that things (relationships, money, power) will satisfy our hearts. They won't.

Living with singleness of focus, and making that focus the kingdom of God, is the only path to heart satisfaction. This is the pursuit for which we were made. Everything else is a poor imitation of purpose. That's why, when we try to find fulfillment in them, we become so fickle. Since none of those things can satisfy, we're forced to move from thing to thing as we slowly but surely acknowledge that truth.

Questions to Consider

The questions are Tripp's. I included my answers in case they're helpful to read.

1. What pursuit forms your reason for deciding, doing, and saying the things you do?

- As with all of us, it's an ongoing battle between my desire for the kingdom of self and my (Spirit-led) desire for the kingdom of God.

2. How would your responses to daily situations and relationships be different if you were hooking them to the glory and grace of God.

- I don't think we have to imagine what this looks like - Christians see this in our own lives every day. In many situations, because the Spirit is doing good work in us, we do pursue the glory and grace of God, and see the fruit of that in our lives. Yes, there are times when the kingdom of self takes center stage - repentance is needed in all those times. Even so, God uses those times (my sin) to highlight the contrast of them with the joy and peace found in the pursuit of righteousness.