Dear Church | Psalm 27 - Wanting the One Thing by Pastor Greg Mah (Sept 13, 2026)

Exodus 33 puts a scary offer on the table: victory in every battle, abundance in the promised land, and an angel to lead the way, but not God’s own presence. Moses refuses the deal. Moses says, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here,” because God himself is better than success, sweeter than milk and honey, and greater than every good gift he could give.

Psalm 27 carries that same hunger into David’s chaos. David has enemies, armies, and war rising against him, yet David asks for one thing: to dwell in the house of the Lord, gaze upon his beauty, and inquire in his temple. David knows God is everywhere, but David still seeks God’s face, his panim, his personal and manifest presence. Panim means face, because God is not merely a distant idea to acknowledge. God is the One his people can turn toward, engage with, and enjoy.

The presence of God cannot be reduced to a quiet desk, an open Bible, or a church gathering, even though those places matter deeply. Ordinary life becomes holy ground when God is welcomed into it. The ocean, the car ride, the work desk, the counseling room, the basketball game, the dishes, and the surfboard can all become places of communion when the heart says, “Lord, will you join me?”

Christ has made this access possible once and for all. The curtain has been torn, the sacrifice has been offered, and sin no longer keeps those in Christ from the presence of Almighty God. Eternity therefore does not only begin after death. Heaven is heaven because Jesus is there, and Jesus has made a way for his people to enjoy him right here, right now.

The practice begins with simple conversation. Christ promises, “I am with you always,” and the Holy Spirit teaches, reminds, comforts, and guides. The question becomes: What are the five ordinary moments in a day where the heart can stop and invite God in? The God who holds the waves of the sea also holds his church, his people, and every anxious thing beyond human control. His mercies are new every morning, and great is his faithfulness.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s presence is better than success. Moses would not accept military victory, material abundance, or angelic guidance without God himself. Success without the presence of God is still a terrible loss. The deepest desire of God’s people must not be what God can give, but God. [04:04]
• 2. Seek God’s face in the chaos. David faces real enemies and real war, yet his one thing is to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. Fear loses some of its grip when the heart becomes fixed on God’s face. The presence of God does not always remove the battle, but it steadies the soul within it. [07:19]
• 3. Ordinary life can become communion. The presence of God is not limited to a desk, a Bible, or a church service. Cooking, driving, working, parenting, and playing can become moments of fellowship when God is consciously welcomed there. Every activity becomes sacred when the Spirit of God is acknowledged within it. [15:45]
• 4. God meets his people beyond control. The mighty ocean became a reminder that the Lord on high is mightier still. Human anxiety often grows from the need to manage what belongs in God’s hands. The absence of control can become the place where God’s presence and power become most clear. [24:51]
• 5. Eternity with Christ begins now. Christ tore the veil so that access to God would not wait until heaven. Heaven is heaven because Jesus is there, and his presence is available now to those who belong to him. The Christian life is not merely waiting to arrive, but learning to enjoy God along the way.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:45] - The Most Meaningful Thing
• [02:43] - Moses Refuses Success Without God
• [06:03] - David’s One Thing in Psalm 27
• [10:42] - Seeking God’s Face
• [13:14] - Practicing God’s Presence in Daily Life
• [18:01] - Christ Opens Access to God
• [19:51] - Lord, Will You Join Me?
• [24:51] - The God Who Holds the Waves
• [26:23] - Lord, Will You Teach Me?
• [29:40] - Old Faithful and God’s Mercies
• [34:34] - Eternity Begins Now
• [35:07] - Communion and Prayer

Bible Reading

Exodus 33:15 — “And he said to him, ‘If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.’” [04:11]

Psalm 27:4 — “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.” [07:28]

Matthew 28:20 — “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” [20:48]

Lamentations 3:22-23 — “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” [30:45]

Observation questions

1. What did Moses refuse to accept in Exodus 33: even though Israel was promised victory, provision, and angelic guidance?
2. What are the three things David asks to do in the Lord’s house in Psalm 27:4, and what does this show was most important to him in the middle of danger?
3. What distinction is made between God being present everywhere and God’s people intentionally seeking his “face” or personal presence? [11:07]
4. What ordinary activities were named as possible places for communion with God, alongside prayer, Scripture reading, and gathered worship? [16:03]

Interpretation questions

1. Why is success without God’s presence still a loss, even when that success includes safety, abundance, and help from others? [04:20]
2. David faced enemies and the threat of war, yet he pursued one thing: God himself. How does seeking God’s face change the way a believer understands fear and trouble? [07:19]
3. Jesus promises, “I am with you always.” How does this promise give a believer confidence to invite him into ordinary responsibilities, difficult conversations, and uncertain situations? [20:45]
4. Lamentations says that God’s mercies are new every morning. How does this truth speak to a believer who begins the day carrying regret, failure, exhaustion, or anxiety from the day before? [31:29]

Application questions

1. What “good gift” can become more important than God himself in your life right now—success, comfort, control, approval, security, or something else? What might it look like to say with Moses, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here”? [04:25]
2. What battle, pressure, or anxious situation is most occupying your mind these days? How could David’s “one thing” reshape what you ask God for in that situation? [07:47]
3. Choose five ordinary moments that are already part of your daily routine—such as waking up, commuting, starting work, eating a meal, caring for children, exercising, or going to bed. In which of those moments could you pause this week and pray, “Lord, will you join me?” [21:07]
4. Is there an activity you tend to label as “non-spiritual,” making it easy to leave God out of it? How might that activity become a place of gratitude, conversation, and awareness of God’s presence? [16:15]
5. Where are you trying hardest to stay in control right now? How could remembering that the Lord is mightier than the waves help you entrust that area to him? [25:12]
6. What is one situation this week in which you need to pray, “Lord, will you teach me?” What might it look like to pay attention to the Holy Spirit’s guidance through Scripture, prayer, wise counsel, or the events of that situation? [26:46]
7. Christ has opened the way into God’s presence now, not only after death. What practical change could help you enjoy Christ’s presence today rather than treating eternal life as something that only begins later? [34:34]