10/08/2023
Psalms 73 :26
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
Life reminds us that our flesh may also fail. Good health is not guaranteed. Cancer, illnesses, long-term disabilities, and other ailments remind us that life on this earth is not perfect. Our flesh will fail; each of us will have to face death. Yet the believer has hope for eternity.
The believer has hope even though “my flesh and my heart may fail.” Our eternal salvation fuels our hope as we live on this earth. Believers have hope that nothing can separate us from God’s love. We know that this world is not all there is. We have comfort in knowing that God is with us through our difficulties. Our “living hope” through Christ is an anchor for our souls, regardless of the storms we face in life. By contrast, those who do not place their trust in God are said to be without hope.
When our hearts ache or illness deteriorates our bodies, we see that “my flesh and my heart may fail.” Yet God is our strength and our hope and our reward. A literal rendering of Psalm 73:26 is that God is “the rock of my heart.” For believers, our eternity is secure, and this gives us hope, although life may leave us feeling helpless. No matter what we face, “we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”
To view God as his "portion," means to see the Lord as the source of his happiness.We too can discover a deeper trust in the One who is above all, even in the scariest times. We can learn what it means when God is our portion. God is my portion when I don’t have enough.
There will be times when we don’t have enough. We may even wonder why God isn’t providing the way we think He should. It could be one of life’s basic needs, like money to pay bills or food in the pantry. We may seek answers, like I did when my heart problem returned. We may long for healing. Whatever the desire, let’s remember this truth: God knows more about what we need than we do. Sometimes He doesn’t take the pain away, but instead comforts us through it. How we handle difficulties can encourage others and draw His children closer to Him. Your journey can become just the inspiration someone else needs.