"ONE THING"
"But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” -- Luke 10:42
Let me rivet the attention of your heart upon "one thing". The Lord Jesus said to
Martha, “one thing is needful.” Many
things crowd our hearts and minds. Many things distract our attention. Many
things will carry us to hell. The care of the world and the deceitfulness of
riches, the pleasures of life and its troubles, all choke out the influence of
the gospel. As you care for your soul, give me your attention. “One thing,” only “one thing,” “one thing” to the exclusion of all other things “is needful.”
That one thing is Christ. He
who has Christ has all, for “all things
are Christ’s.” But if you do not have Christ, you have nothing that will
last. You have nothing you can carry to the grave. You have nothing that will
profit your soul. If you are without Christ, you are lost, without God, without
grace, without life, and without hope. Oh, may God cause you to see this, rouse
up your soul by the power of his Holy Spirit, and cause you to seek Christ.
One Thing Desired
In Psalm 27:4 David said, "one thing have i desired of the Lord"
The man after God's own heart desired but "one thing" and sought but "one thing" from the Lord. -- "That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life."
David desired to dwell in the conscious awareness of Christ's manifest
presence, in sweet communion on earth and perfect communion in heaven. --
"To behold the beauty of the Lord,"
by faith here, and face to face hereafter. -- "And to inquire in his temple," to be taught and directed by
his Spirit, and to be taught perfectly in his glorious presence.
One Thing Needful
In Luke 10:42 our Lord told Martha, "one thing is needful." It is true,
we live in this world with many cares and responsibilities, which we must not
neglect. Yet, even in this world, only one thing is needful. And that one
thing, I repeat, is Christ. "Martha was cumbered about much serving."
Martha was "careful and troubled
about many things." How sad! Mary chose one thing. Mary sought one
thing. The one thing Mary sought is the one thing needful. -- Christ Jesus.
Mary "sat at Jesus' feet, and heard
his word." How wise! How blessed!
One Thing Known
In John 9:25 the blind man, whose sight had been
restored by the power of God, said, "one
thing I know." He knew that once he was blind. And he knew who caused
him to see. That was enough. If you see the things of God, you know who caused
you to see. Like the blind man, you lay all praise at the feet of Christ. If
you know this one thing, you know enough
One Thing Do
In Philippians 3:13 the Apostle Paul said, "one thing I do." We have not yet
attained perfection, or even come close. We have not yet won the prize we seek,
perfect conformity to Christ. But this one thing we must do. -- "Forgetting those things which are behind,
and reaching forth unto those things which are before," we must "press toward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus." We must persevere, expending
every effort, using every means, seeking the Lord Jesus Christ, until at last
we are found in him, righteous, perfectly holy, perfectly conformed to Christ
in body, soul, and spirit by the grace of God.