“Whom have I in heaven but You? I desire You more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.”
Psalms 73:25-26 NLT
Another meander away from the Book of Romans this morning. A dear friend is once again in hospital, this time recovering from a severe infection before having to endure a surgical procedure. I wonder how much more she can cope with through her illness. But her faith is strong and, like the Psalmist, I’m sure she regularly prays these two verses. God is her strength.
My wife has a friend who also has severe health challenges. One chest infection after another ravages her body and occasionally takes her to a hospital bed. The constant physical onslaughts weaken her but her faith is strong. I’m sure she also regularly prays these two verses from Psalm 73. God is her strength.
The Psalmist had previously lamented about how the wicked seemed to prosper more than the righteous. But in God’s presence he soon realised what his true perspective was. And he lifted his eyes up from his apparent dilemma to focus on God in Heaven. The fog cleared. He found what was eternal and turned his back on the temporal. God was his strength.
Occasionally we all get caught up with worldly issues and become anxious. The war in Ukraine. The cost of living. Family problems. Some days the list seems endless. The Psalmist wrote that in spite of his problems, God remained the strength of His heart. He elevated his gaze. A friend of mine often reminded himself that his attitude determined his altitude. We can choose to grovel around in the muck and mire, going down the tubes, or we can allow our loving Heavenly Father to lift us up. And it is then that we realise that we desire him above all else. We find that God is our strength. Always and forever.
Being a Pilgrim 