PSALM 73:25 – Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
THEME OF THE DAY. THE HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENT IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. Ask any Christian, “Do you love the Lord Jesus?” and a resounding reply will be, “Yes, I do. Of course, I do.” And that should be expected. It is what defines us as Christians. We love Christ. The Apostle Paul closes his first letter to the Ephesians with these words, “Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with sincere love” (Ephesians 6:24). But then, ask any Christian if they could say with complete honesty and sincerity the words in today’s scripture? Or better yet, let’s make it more personal. Could each of us say, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you”?
When God saves a sinner, the chief goal in this work of salvation is not the removal of judgment and wrath from the now child of God. The actual goal God seeks to achieve in the salvation of a soul is today’s scripture. And what is really behind the words of the psalmist is obedience to the Great and First Commandment – “loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength” (Matthew 22:37). God saves us to enable us to fulfill our created purpose – to love Him and that supremely. So, if this is the chief work in our salvation that means today’s scripture is the highest achievement in the Christian life – to so love God that no one or nothing will ever replace Him in the affections of our heart. And this causes us to ponder how we can get and stay there in the daily living of the Christian life.
First, we must see with spiritual eyes the worth, beauty, holiness, and majesty in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us of God’s willingness to show us His glory in His Son, “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). And this only occurs through fervent prayer to behold His glory and diligence in His Word to behold it. We make no progress in being able to truly say, “There is nothing on earth that I desire besides you” unless we are convinced through prayer and the Word of the precious value of knowing Christ. And should we lack this single and unrivalled affection for the Lord, we may be Christians, but we won’t have the experiences with the Lord our Bibles tell us describes normal Christianity.
A second necessity if we are to love the Lord our God will all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength is to have a “warrior-mentality.” This means we are armed and ready to do immediate and intense battle against anyone or anything which would seek to crowd the Lord off the throne of our hearts. When tempted to put any human being or relationship above the Lord, we refuse such accommodation. When tempted to allow any worldly pleasure to remove a holy affection for the Lord, we refuse its foothold in our lives. And this battle is constant. And it is painful for it means not even the closest of relationships – our families – are to have a higher place in our hearts than that of the Lord Jesus. Sadly, many Christians have begun the slow slide to loss of first love by placing family above the Lord. This often occurs on the Lord’s Day by making it a family day instead of keeping it the Lord’s Day. And if tempted to do this, I cannot think of a better family outing than to be in church as a family. Special and lasting memories are built through spiritual investments as a family and especially on His Day.
Oh, to be able to say, like the Psalmist, “There is nothing on earth I desire besides you” is to be the goal of every Christian. It is a goal that is achievable. The only hindrance is our desire and effort to make it a daily reality.
PRAYER: “Father, show me Your loveliness and beauty that captures my heart; all my heart.”
QUOTE: “God saves us so that we might be overwhelmingly in love with Him.” JOHN 15:9 – As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.