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Posted by David Kitz for “I Love the Psalms” @  https://davidkitz.wordpress.com/

Original post found @ https://davidkitz.blog/2022/03/25/nothing-i-desire-besides-you-2/

Nothing I Desire Besides You

25FridayMar 2022

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 73

Tags  God’s presence, God’s sanctuary, psalmist’s confession, the heavens

Reading: Psalm 73:21-28

When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds (NIV).*

Photo by David Kitz

Reflection
I love the brutal honesty of the psalmist. I always like to think I am the smartest one in the room, but the truth is I am very capable of wrong-headed thinking. And wrong thinking often leads to hurtful words or unwise actions. Take a moment to consider the psalmist’s confession: When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.

That’s brutal honesty. Are we that honest with God when our reasoning goes off the straight and narrow rails? Or do we justify our thoughts and blame God or others when we are ticked off?

We need to come into God’s sanctuary to have our hearts and minds tuned into the LORD’s thinking. The LORD reminds us that He knows the big picture. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).

When we are in God’s presence, we can have our affections adjusted. All too often I have my priorities all messed up. What about you? The amazing truth about God is He loves us despite our mess-ups. The psalmist knows the power of that love. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

What a patient, loving God we serve! This should become our humble confession: Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Response: LORD God, I want to have your perspective. I want to see as you see. Set my thoughts on the right path. Remind me to take time to be with you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. Amen.

Your Turn: How do you get your affections in tune with God? What steps do you need to take?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

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P.S. (from bruce)  When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !!  If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ??  Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…   https://godsmanforever.com

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…

You say you are a “born again” believer…  “ BUT ”  is your soul “ON FIRE ” for the Lord ??  If not, open this link – https://godsmanforever.com/2020/08/01/are-you-a-christian-in-gods-eyes-and-on-fire-for-the-lord-or-not/

Picture credit:  https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS832US832&sxsrf=APq-WBsZMnNpng_LEIfV4LAQXZe6MZGc6g:1648556470867&source=univ&tbm=isch&q=image+isaiah+55:9&fir=3o5CCS4RPfOOZM%252Cqkw3TZ8I9I33hM%252C_%253Ba3tXOcnDShy-nM%252Cdbg-CrSG3hwgKM%252C_%253B3vM3ZcvOso6R1M%252CoFpGWZ7a5vCfKM%252C_%253BmRkB4i7hhroxoM%252C33HgPEMgWGElDM%252C_%253BN9LdNjEPa8exLM%252CSWbJXkqft-p8TM%252C_%253Bqvo9BZz-9ZH_kM%252CpiK7xWSg9xGPVM%252C_%253B8Y88_RkXd-iijM%252CWuXQyLMApU6dYM%252C_%253BpPAFIobEGNc-wM%252Ced3yzh4VvaQpoM%252C_%253B_Z034mm0P52dVM%252CkR7IkoGrI9b68M%252C_%253BtsDpc4o2YTW1sM%252Cu04xqevwOAhYHM%252C_%253B2yDBX85h5oszlM%252CrWh-IOhyhli8YM%252C_%253BhFHCAI1KiBBCCM%252CR4Mg9r32nXpG-M%252C_%253BejuX0ccOb6lETM%252CoFpGWZ7a5vCfKM%252C_%253BLPuUYOUFgl_ewM%252CnXK34MTHgHJvJM%252C_%253BZUCi0rTsfgUMeM%252CqUiek6ALCZufSM%252C_%253B4I7oNGmDDQ9tNM%252CBK7oFqwuPD99qM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kRaEFHZMcoJp52mIUPsJx2s4VG0DA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi-7Nm2p-v2AhWokYkEHYGECMUQ7Al6BAgJEDs&biw=1293&bih=901&dpr=1#imgrc=RAO72njY0cJXwM