Psalm 73:25-26

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Psalm 73:25-26

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” – Psalm 73:25-26

Psalm 73 was written by Asaph.  Asaph was a Levite and as a Levite he ministered in the Tabernacle of Meeting – in the Sanctuary of God.  From what we know he was only one of three Levites specifically asked by King David (I Chronicles 6: 31, 39) to be in charge of the singing in the house of God.  He was keenly aware through his experience in this ministry of the hypocrisy that took place within the house of God at times as well as, the vanity of vanities of a man seeking refuge, peace, and fulfillment through the riches of the world.  Not unlike a true believer in our Lord and Savior today, at times we cannot

comprehend why the wicked and ungodly in this world prosper materially and have an abundance of earthly wealth and pleasures seemingly without any consequences.  It was not just the outsiders of the camp that Asaph is writing. It was the unfaithful within the encampment of Israel that he is referencing as well.  “Behold, these are the ungodly, who are always at ease; they increase in riches” (VS 12).  In contrast, Asaph saw that there are true, faithful, and righteous-living believers who are oppressed and do not have much in the way of material/earthly blessings.  This caused a conflict within his heart and within his ministry.  But Asaph writes: “When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me – until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end” (VSS 16,17).  

If you are a true believer in the finished work of Jesus Christ upon the Cross; His burial and His resurrection, you very well might be experiencing at times what Asaph did.  Maybe concerning earthly wealth and prosperity and/or the ease that appears to come with riches has never been at your doorstep.  Maybe you have said to yourself: “I’m doing everything I can to live rightly but why do those who don’t live rightly have more than me?  And like Asaph within the house of God, should I listen and believe the many prosperity and faith teachers of today’s church that I have a ‘right’ to expect material and earthly blessings and wealth as a believer in Christ?”  No.  Do not!   As new creations in Christ through faith, you have been placed into the Body of Christ.  Your blessings so abundant come to you by being ‘in Him’, not by being ‘in the world’ nor receiving from the world’s abundance.   “And blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,…” (Eph 1:3).   Does our Lord care about what we have materially to meet our needs?  Absolutely.   But to demand or expect God to be indebted to give us riches and wealth and obey our prayers or commands (prayers) for what we seek materially is wicked to the uttermost.  Those that solely grind after this world’s wealth to satisfy their needs are on a slippery slope (Ps 73:18) that will lead to destruction and desolation – like living in a dream and then suddenly awakened to reality (vss 18-20).   Therefore, what can we learn from Asaph’s experience?  In VSS 25-26, there is an encouraging summary of Asaph’s heart-felt prayer. 

#1.  “Whom have I in heaven but You?”  Technically, the phrase ‘but You’ is italicized which means it is inferred but not in the original text.  The question can read: “Whom have I in heaven?”   You do know that there are other created beings of God ‘in heaven’.  Angelic beings of all different roles and ranks are there.  There are beings that are evil in the ‘heavenly places’ and there are beings that adhere to the Word of God.  As believers our fight is not first and foremost against flesh and blood (the human realm), “…but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12).  So’ to answer Asaph’s question “Whom have I in heaven?”, the answer hopefully is clear to you as it was to Asaph.  It should ONLY be God. 

#2.    Not only is God our answer when looking toward the heavenly realm, He is our answer in our earthly realm as well.  “And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You” (VS 23b).  Oh, that you and I can have this kind of perspective, longing, and reality in our hearts.  Ironically, our Christmas season is here.  I desire that my heart would be like Asaph’s during this season; that I ultimately only desire Him – not the presents I might get or anything else offered from this world to try and fulfill only what He Himself can fill.  Be reminded that every TV commercial you will see this Christmas season will offer you the peace, prosperity, ease, comfort, and abundance that the world can give.  But while on this earth, there is none besides Him.  See, Asaph was a real man with real life before him.  Just like you today.  He expresses what many of us might feel at this very moment.

#3.  “My flesh and my heart fail;…” (VSS 26).   Asaph does not say ‘My flesh and heart MIGHT fail at times’.  No.  As a human being and even as an assigned singer in the house of God serving the One Living God, Asaph humbly admits to his readers of this Psalm that in his own strength (his flesh) and through his own efforts deep within his heart to do it right, he fails.  All ‘your’ efforts will fail you.  All ‘your’ self-determination within your own heart will come short of what you really, really need.   There are hundreds if not thousands of methodologies and self-help philosophies available in the world or within religious systems that promise to meet your most inner needs.   Listen here to the Word of God.  What you deeply need will not come from your own strength and your own heart-felt determination.   The answer once again is God Himself.  The Person. The Person is Jesus Christ.  “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?” (John 14:10).  It is worthy of repeating.  What you deeply need will not come from your own strength and your own heart-felt determination.   The answer once again is God Himself. 

#4.    “But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (VS 26b).   Do you need a measure of strength to get through whatever phase in life or challenges or questions you are experiencing now?   When you see the world around you, even within the church on some occasions, seemingly prosperous people who are at ease and at comfort within their riches, and you ask that question: “How am I supposed to live as I view these things around me?”    Let your answer be the same as Asaph.   ‘BUT GOD…..’.  But God is the strength of MY heart – not the material world around me, not some angelic spiritual beings. No way.  God is MY strength and MY portion forever!!    Call out to Him.  Cling to Him.  He is right here.  As believers in the Lord Jesus, thank God that we can instantly turn to Him for real comfort, strength, peace, and hope that will deeply satisfy our most challenging times.   Thank you, Lord!

Jaca Kier, Board Member, True Devotion Ministries, Inc. 

Matthew 10:34

Verse of the Day Devotion: Matthew 10:34 

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” –  Matthew 10:34

Some people read this verse and are confused because throughout the scriptures Jesus is referred to as the Prince of Peace, one who brings peace.  “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6.   The angels declared this at His birth.  “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” Luke 2:14.  Note here that on earth, there will be peace among those who please God. 

Now, Christ was not saying that the purpose of His coming was to produce discord and content.  For He is called the Prince of Peace.  What is meant is that it is one of the effects of His coming.  Unfortunately, persecution would come.  “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues;” Matthew 10:16-18.  And then continuing this thought, “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” Matthew 10:21-22.

Jesus did not come here to cause division but to bring salvation.  The wickedness of men, not the teaching of Christ and the gospel, is the cause for all the hostility.  It is the evil that exists in this world.  We as Christians are to strive to bring peace.  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9.  We are called to bring peace to everyone.  We are to do everything we can to prevent contention and strife.  Paul put it like this.  “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Romans 12:18. 

When He returns, and His kingdom has arrived, then we will be in perfect peace with no end to this peace,  for all will be made right.  “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;  they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 

And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.” Revelation 22:1-5.  We can live at peace here because Christ is always with us.  However, eternal,  unending, and perfect peace will happen when He comes to take us home.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Job 19:25

Verse of the Day Devotion: Job 19:25 

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth.” –  Job 19:25   

In the beginning of the Book of Job, he basically loses all he had because of Satan, who takes them away from him in testing God.  Job was a very prosperous man and had much property and many in his family.  However, Satan takes away everything he has and then kills all his children.  Soon after this, Satan attacks Job and covers his body with sore boils, from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.  And because of this, he was using a piece of pottery to scrape himself while sitting among the ashes. Not a pleasant experience.

And to make matters worse, three friends come by to sit with him.  Their names were Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar.  There was a serious back and forth between Job and his three friends.  Each time one of his friends spoke, Job would respond.  And it seems each series of talks became more and more negative.  In chapter 19, Job is responding to the comments of Bildad found in the previous chapter.  Bildad seemed offended by the words of Job.  Some of Bildad’s words are, “How long will you hunt for words? Show understanding and then we can talk. Why are we regarded as beasts, As stupid in your eyes?” Job 18:2-3.  And, “The light in his tent is darkened, And his lamp goes out above him. His vigorous stride is shortened, And his own scheme brings him down. For he is thrown into the net by his own feet, And he steps on the webbing.” Job 18:6-8.  These three friends believed his trials were on account of his sins and that God was punishing him. 

Job then responds to his friends, particularly Bildad, with strong words of his own.  “How long will you torment me And crush me with words? These ten times you have insulted me; You are not ashamed to wrong me. Even if I have truly erred, My error lodges with me.  Know then that God has wronged me And has closed His net around me.” Job 19:2-6.  He hits back on Bildad, but then at the end, he says even if I have erred, it is God who has wronged me.  He then goes on to say God has stripped him of any honor he had, and He is breaking him down and has uprooted his hope.  He goes as far as stating, “He has also kindled His anger against me And considered me as His enemy.” Job 19:11.

Next, he asks his friends to feel bad for him.  “Pity me, pity me, O you my friends, For the hand of God has struck me. Why do you persecute me as God does, And are not satisfied with my flesh?” Job 19:21-22.  He feels he has been wronged and accused of hypocrisy.  He was letting out what he was feeling, however, his words were taken as something evil.  He then wishes his words were written to show others that he was struggling and was not as his friends portrayed him.  He was not being hypocritical but was expressing his thoughts and feelings. 

Job then abruptly breaks away from his previous sentiments.  He now settles back and says in our focus verse, “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.” Job 19:25.  He is essentially telling his friends that you may think I acted improperly, accusing me of being utterly wrong and hypocritical.  However, I know my redeemer lives.  The word redeemer is translated from the Hebrew word go’el, which refers to the kindred redeemer.  He believed that no matter how difficult things could be, He would redeem Him in the end.  This could be a prophetic word referring to Christ, but it could also refer to his current life.  He was confident in that, and he was to wait patiently for Him.

I want to encourage us to always remember as well that our Redeemer lives.  The one who died for us to pay the penalty for our sins and will come back to take us home.  We all go through difficult times, and with the enemy coming for us, we will continue to experience hard times.  But in the midst, we must always remember that our redeemer lives.  If we find ourselves being accused by people as being sinful and that is the reason for our trials, remember we know what we actually believe and that our redeemer lives. Therefore, do not focus on the problems and trials,  but focus on God, our redeemer and friend.  He will always bring us through and never leave or forsake us.  This is the best way to look at these situations for He will bring us through, both now and for eternity.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Colossians 3:2

Verse of the Day Devotion: Colossians 3:2 

“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” – Colossians 3:2         

Now that we are saved, our minds should be thinking on our new life, and not the life we have left behind.  We see what we should be focused on in the first verse in this chapter. “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1.  We need to set aside our old self, our old nature.  Paul puts it this way.  “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” Ephesians 4:22-24.  If we are born again, then the old man was killed, crucified.  “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” Romans 6:5-7. 

So, this begs the question.  If our old man with its old ways is dead, then why should we set our minds on the worldly ways of our old man?  The answer is easy, we should not.  Our minds should be focused on God; what He desires from us, what we can do for Him here.  We should direct our thoughts to Christ, where He dwells and His will for us.  We should not be focusing on the things of this world such as wealth, self-honor and pleasure.  The theologian Albert Barnes in his commentary on Colossians stated, “Our affections should not be fixed on houses and lands; on scenes of fashion and gaiety; on low and debasing enjoyments.” That man, the one who’s mind was fixed on earthly pleasures and ways has died. 

We, as Christians, should love the things of God, and detest the things of this world.  Now, I am not saying we should neglect our needs here, essentially food, clothing and shelter; or we should not enjoy some things here, such as a concert or a ball game.  It is that we should not make these things the center of our life.  These are not sinful activities, except if they take precedence over the things of God.   It is sin we should not think on.  “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”  Colossians 3:5.  We must see these things as dead and no longer enticing us.  We once focused on these things, but we should not now.  We are new creatures.  We think differently, we act differently.  We used to live to satisfy ourselves, now we must live to satisfy God, and in so doing, He will satisfy us.  This is setting our minds on the things above.  This is denying the things of this world.  And I have no doubt life will be so much better when we follow the words of this verse.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.