Who in Heaven but You

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Scripture: Psalm 73:25-26 (ESV)

25    Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

26    My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Devotion:

            The scripture I have chosen for today helps us get our priorities straight. Our culture today places too much emphasis on our present circumstances. The culture assumes that God does not exist, therefore, we must grab all the enjoyment we can today. The psalmist paints a different picture. His writing declares that God not only exists, but He is the most important thing in this life and the next.

            This brief passage from a much longer psalm has much to teach us in our 21st century world. So often we fall short of being as devoted to God and the things of God and we suffer for it. We as Christians should live as God’s beloved children upon this earth. We must live with our eyes fixed not on how much or many material blessings we can accumulate here on earth. Rather we should look to our life in heaven and be storing up treasure there.

            Desiring God should be the consuming passion in our lives. Our world, the flesh, and the devil will constantly try to get us fixated on fleshly, material things here on earth. We must, with the psalmist here, fix our gaze on our eternal reward in heaven. We place our faith in God through the work of his Son, Jesus Christ the crucified, and the indwelling Holy Spirit to give us the ability to survive every trial and temptation. God is our source of all comfort from our birth to our dying day.

            The psalmist in these brief words gives us a clue towards figuring out the meaning and purpose for our lives. He seeks to orient us Godward. Taking our minds off of things in the here and now and putting them on eternal life with God. For truly, no matter what our age or state of health is in the present, eventually our strength will fail, and our heart will stop beating. What happens next will be determined on whether or not we truly have sought God. As Jesus taught us, “seek and you shall find.” God is always available to those who seek him. Let us seek him in prayer:

Prayer:

            Heavenly Father, our creator, redeemer, and sustainer. Help us to repent of our earthly ways and seek you with our whole heart. Help us to live for you O God. May we desire nothing in heaven or on earth the way we desire you. Accept our worship and devotion. Be our Shepherd and our Guide through all of life’s trials and temptations. Thank you for your saving love in Jesus Christ. Help our lives be lived in response to that gift. Amen. 

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