"Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:23-26) The NIV says in 25b, "And earth has nothing I desire besides You."
Most devotionals use less "introductory" Scripture. For me, my devotionals are the "introductory" to Scripture.
My sister went into the hospital this morning with complications from asthma. I was praying for her earlier and prayed something like, "Lord Jesus, send in the right doctors" (pause). Then in sort of frustration/helplessness, I said, "Send in Yourself." Today's text says it perfectly, "Whom have I in heaven but You?" In reality, we can pray the next passage something like, "'And there is none upon earth,' "who can do what only You can do."
There is no doubt that throughout history most of mankind's struggle has been beyond him to do anything. We could not prevent the "Dark Ages." We could not prevent the overrunning of the Church in the Middle East and North Africa by Muslim butchers. The Jews could not prevent their ousting from Jerusalem in 70 A. D. The "League of Nations" could not unify nations. The World could not prevent Germany and Japan from nearly looting the entire Earth, and in the process causing the death of, what some sources place as high as, 85,000,000 people. No one will every know the exact toll.
There will be more answers to prayer, victory in the battle "for the hearts and minds of men," and the Church rising up in these "Last Days" as the victorious Church we can be, when those who claim to, "follow the Lamb wherever He goes," adopt, live, and desperately cling to Jesus Christ, and saying and living to Jesus alone, "Whom have I in but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I want, "....earth has nothing I desire besides You," to be my life style. Amen.
Most devotionals use less "introductory" Scripture. For me, my devotionals are the "introductory" to Scripture.
My sister went into the hospital this morning with complications from asthma. I was praying for her earlier and prayed something like, "Lord Jesus, send in the right doctors" (pause). Then in sort of frustration/helplessness, I said, "Send in Yourself." Today's text says it perfectly, "Whom have I in heaven but You?" In reality, we can pray the next passage something like, "'And there is none upon earth,' "who can do what only You can do."
There is no doubt that throughout history most of mankind's struggle has been beyond him to do anything. We could not prevent the "Dark Ages." We could not prevent the overrunning of the Church in the Middle East and North Africa by Muslim butchers. The Jews could not prevent their ousting from Jerusalem in 70 A. D. The "League of Nations" could not unify nations. The World could not prevent Germany and Japan from nearly looting the entire Earth, and in the process causing the death of, what some sources place as high as, 85,000,000 people. No one will every know the exact toll.
There will be more answers to prayer, victory in the battle "for the hearts and minds of men," and the Church rising up in these "Last Days" as the victorious Church we can be, when those who claim to, "follow the Lamb wherever He goes," adopt, live, and desperately cling to Jesus Christ, and saying and living to Jesus alone, "Whom have I in but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I want, "....earth has nothing I desire besides You," to be my life style. Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
