Mine Forever

“Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” Psalm 73:25-26

Sometimes I have questioned God’s goodness. And I think if you are completely honest, so have you. Ever wonder why bad things happen to good people while the wicked, unrighteous people seem to go through life unscathed? Asaph, the writer of Psalm 73, seems to struggle with the same questions. Asaph struggles to the point of almost giving up.

I mean, why bother? Asaph writes, “Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain.” Sound familiar? But just before Asaph throws in the towel, he does something that puts everything back into perspective. In verse 17 he says, “Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.” 

It’s in the sanctuary of God, the secret place, the place where we meet with God in private that we are renewed and once again able to understand that prosperity is not about wealth or even health, it’s about God’s presence, his protection, his provision and his promise of eternal life. A single day in God’s presence is better than a thousand anywhere else! (See Psalm 84:10)

It’s only when Asaph emerges from the sanctuary that he can say, “Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.” 

Do you desire God more than anything on earth? It’s okay if you’re not there yet. Maybe, like me, you need more time in the sanctuary. Then we can say with Asaph, “My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.”