"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.
Grace Baptist Church of Danville - Grace For
Today Radio Message #803
2734 Old Stanford Road -
Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438
Donald S.
Fortner, Pastor -Telephone 606-236-8235 - Email grace@mis.net