A Place to Turn To

One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live 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.

For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.

—Psalm 27:4-5

What would be the one thing I'd ask of the Lord? Material blessings? Health? Love from other people? When I think about it, I'd probably ask that I'd never be touched by trouble.

But in the 27th Psalm, I'm taught that the one thing I might ask would be to live in God's presence my whole life long. Why? Not so trouble won't touch me—because a trouble-free life would be monotonous and ultimately joyless—but so that I'll have a place to turn to when trouble comes my way.

Help me to set my priorities, O God, that you may come first. Remind me that my Savior was crucified, so why should I expect a life of ease? Teach me instead to know I can turn to you when I'm in trouble. If arrows are flying, may I hide in your tent. If the waters rise, may you be the rock that holds me up; in Jesus' Name, who taught me to pray: Our Father...