Verse of the Day 11/8

Verse of the Day 11/8

Psalm 73:25-26   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.     English Standard Version (ESV)

There are many things in the ebb and flow of our lives that can rob us of joy and peace.  As we grow older we will face more challenges with illness, loss of loved ones and many other struggles and disappointments.  The other day we considered how we are to "set our minds" our hearts on things above.  Today's verse continues that theme.  Time in God's Word helps us to bring our attention, our focus off of the things that can bring us down and back to God and His promises.  In all of these things God is the strength of our hearts.

Pastor James MacDonald writes, "Everybody wants to think they can blame their negative attitudes on the struggles they face in life, both the big things and little things that don't go their way. In reality, however, your life is largely comprised, not of what's happening or has happened to you, but by how you deal with it. I'm not meaning to negate or minimize the ordeals that press against you the hardest, these "trials of various kinds." Neither am I suggesting that other people don't enjoy certain advantages that perhaps you haven't been able to start from and build on. But that's not what's important. Comparison is not your measuring stick."

We can get caught up in measuring, comparing our circumstances to others.  But our comparisons our "measuring stick" should not be with others but what is waiting for us in heaven.  When we think about that we can realize that while we are waiting for that with "eager expectation", God can be the strength of our hearts, giving us the strength to rise above the circumstances of the day with hope.

Read the short passage from The Message below and may you be able to say along with the psalmist "God is rock-firm and faithful", "how refreshing it is".

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Psalm 73:25-28 The Message (MSG)

^25-28 You're all I want in heaven!
    You're all I want on earth!
When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,
    God is rock-firm and faithful.
Look! Those who left you are falling apart!
    Deserters, they'll never be heard from again.
But I'm in the very presence of God—
    oh, how refreshing it is!
I've made Lord God my home.
    God, I'm telling the world what you do!