<p>GOD BEING WHO HE is must always be sought for Himself, never as a means toward something else.</p><p></p><p>Whoever seeks other objects and not God is on his own; he may obtain those objects if he is able, but he will never have God. God is never found accidentally. "Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart"  (<span class="scriptRef" ref="jer+29:13">Jeremiah 29:13</span>) .</p><p></p><p>Whoever seeks God as a means toward desired ends will not find God. The mighty God, the maker of heaven and earth, will not be one of many treasures, not even the chief of all treasures. He will be all in all or He will be nothing. God will not be used. His mercy and grace are infinite and His patient understanding is beyond measure, but He will not aid men in their selfish striving after personal gain. He will not help men to attain ends which, when attained, usurp the place He by every right should hold in their interest and affection.</p><p></p><p>Yet popular Christianity has as one of its most effective talking points the idea that God exists to help people to get ahead in this world. The God of the poor has become the God of an affluent society. Christ no longer refuses to be a judge or a divider between money hungry brothers. He can now be persuaded to assist the brother that has accepted Him to get the better of the brother who has not.</p><p></p><p>A crass example of the modern effort to use God for selfish purposes is the well-known comedian who, after repeated failures, promised someone he called God that if He would help him to make good in the entertainment world he would repay Him by giving generously to the care of sick children. Shortly afterward he hit the big time in the night clubs and on television. He has kept his word and is raising large sums of money to build children's hospitals. These contributions to charity, he feels, are a small price to pay for a success in one of the sleaziest fields of human endeavor.</p><p></p><p>One might excuse the act of this entertainer as something to be expected of a twentieth century pagan; but that multitudes of evangelicals in North America should actually believe that God had anything to do with the whole business is not so easily overlooked. This low and false view of Deity is one major reason for the immense popularity God enjoys these days among well-fed Westerners.</p><p></p><p>The teaching of the Bible is that God is Himself the end for which man was created. "Whom have I in heaven but thee"" cried the psalmist, "and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee"  (<span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73">Psalms 73</span>: 25) . The first and greatest commandment is to love God with every power of our entire being. Where love like that exists there can be no place for a second object. If we love God as much as we should surely we cannot dream of a loved object beyond Him which He might help us to obtain.</p><p></p><p>Bernard of Clairvaux begins his radiant little treatise on the love of God with a question and an answer. The question, Why should we love God" The answer, Because He is God. He develops the idea further, but for the enlightened heart little more need be said. We should love God because He is God. Beyond this the angels cannot think.</p><p></p><p>Being who He is, God is to be loved for His own sake. He is the reason for our loving Him, just as He is the reason for His loving us and for every other act He has performed, is performing and will perform world without end. God's primary reason for everything is His own good pleasure. The search for secondary reasons is gratuitous and mostly futile. It affords occupation for theologians and adds pages to books on doctrine, but that it ever turns up any true explanations is doubtful.</p><p></p><p>But it is the nature of God to share. His mighty acts of creation and redemption were done for His good pleasure, but His pleasure extends to all created things. One has but to look at a healthy child at play or listen to the song of a bird at sundown and he will know that God meant His universe to be a joyful one.</p><p></p><p>Those who have been spiritually enabled to love God for Himself will find a thousand fountains springing up from the rainbowcircled throne and bringing countless treasures which are to be received with reverent thanksgiving as being the overflow of God's love for His children. Each gift is a bonus of grace which because it was not sought for itself may be enjoyed without injury to the soul. These include the simple blessings of life, such as health, a home, a family, congenial friends, food, shelter, the pure joys of nature or the more artificial pleasures of music and art.</p><p></p><p>The effort to find these treasures by direct search apart from God has been the major activity of mankind through the centuries; and this has been man's burden and man's woe. The effort to gain them as the ulterior motive back of accepting Christ may be something new under the sun; but new or old it is an evil that can only bring judgment at last.</p><p></p><p>God wills that we should love Him for Himself alone with no hidden reasons, trusting Him to be to us all our natures require. Our Lord said all this much better: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you"  (<span class="scriptRef" ref="mt+6:33">Matthew 6:33</span>) .</p>

A.W. Tozer's materials are a mainstay in Evangelical churches in our day and he is one of the most quoted authors. He was a prophet in his day and his writings are even more influential in our day. One of his books: The Pursuit of God, has had over 1 million copies sold world-wide.

Morning and Evening with A.W. Tozer

Man - The Dwelling Place of God - God Must Be Loved for Himself

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="job+21:11-16">Job 21:11-16</span></span></p><p>We come now to the heart of the issue with which the psalmist is struggling in  <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73">Psalm 73</span>: "Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning"  (<span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73:13-14">Psalm 73:13-14</span>). Permit me to paraphrase what I think he is saying: "Here I am, living a godly life, keeping my heart and hands clean, avoiding sin, meditating on the things of God and devoting myself to a life pleasing to God, yet despite this I am facing all kinds of troubles. What's the advantage in serving God if He doesn't protect me?" The problem, then, is not so much the prosperity of the wicked as the fact that he himself is passing through a period of great trial while they are getting off scot-free. We begin now to see the roots of the envy to which the psalmist referred earlier: "For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked" (v. 3). Envy is born out of two things: ignorance and a wrong comparison. Take, first, a wrong comparison. "Almost all our problems," said Dr W.E. Sangster, "begin in a wrong comparison." How true this is. We compare our looks, our height, our income, our homes, our training and our abilities with those of others and soon we lose sight of our own individuality and specialness. To compare ourselves with Christ is a healthy spiritual discipline, but to indulge in comparison with those we think are more prosperous and fortunate than we are is the direct road to envy.</p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">O God, save me, I pray, from the habit of wrongly comparing myself with others. Help me to satisfy the impulse I have for making comparisons only in a way that will yield spiritual gain - by comparing myself only with You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+37:1-40">Psalm 37:1-40</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="pr+3:31">Proverbs 3:31</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="pr+14:30">Proverbs 14:30</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What is envy?</li><li>What is the result of envy?</li></ul></div></div>

Let a little light into your soul every day with this wonderful devotional from English pastor Selwyn Hughes.

Every Day Light with Selwyn Hughes

"Yet they say  'Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?'  But their prosperity is not in their own hands " (vv. 14-16) 

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="job+9:21-35">Job 9:21-35</span></span></p><p>The more the psalmist contemplates the condition of the ungodly, the more his perplexity increases. The next verses show him to be upset over the fact that people treat the ungodly with such admiration: "Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, 'How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?' This is what the wicked are like - always carefree, they increase in wealth"  (<span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73:10-12">Psalm 73:10-12</span>). He observes that because they are so well-admired and well-treated such people say: "Look at how good life is to us! If there is a God, then He doesn't appear to have much interest in the way we live." A Christian tells of a work colleague, a successful man of the world, who said to him one day: "On my way to work this morning a man stopped me and said 'Are you a Jehovah's Witness?' Why would he ask me that? Why, I hadn't even seen the accident!" The man was quite unaware of who Jehovah was and the question had him completely puzzled. This is what troubles the psalmist in this section of  <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73">Psalm 73</span> - he sees people living with no concern for God, yet everything seems to be going so well for them. One can feel his indignation burning through the words he writes. Do you feel indignant about this, or a similar problem? It's not surprising if you do. Be careful, though, that you don't allow it to become your focus of concentration, for it is a law of the personality that you become like the thing you dwell upon. </p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">O Father, if it is true that I become like the thing I focus upon, then help my focus of life not to be indignation at the prosperity of the ungodly but gratitude for the fact that I am an heir to eternity. Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="de+32:1-15">Deuteronomy 32:1-15</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+37:35">Psalm 37:35</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="jer+5:27-28">Jeremiah 5:27-28</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What did Moses declare?</li><li>What did prosperity do to Jeshurun?</li></ul></div></div>

"When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges " (v. 24) 

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+19:7-14">Psalm 19:7-14</span></span></p><p>We said yesterday that exposed problems are the only ones that can be resolved. Is this just an interesting theory, or is it something that can be supported from Scripture? Let me see if I can convince you that this statement has a biblical basis. Come back with me to the Garden of Eden and think again about the questions which God put to the first human pair: "Where are you?  Who told you that you were naked?  What is this you have done?"  (<span class="scriptRef" ref="ge+3:9-13">Genesis 3:9-13</span>). Does anyone believe that God needed to ask those questions in order to gain information for Himself? Of course not; being omniscient (that is, having all knowledge), He already knew what they had done. Then why did He put those searching personal questions to them? Surely the answer must be that the direct questions encouraged them to face something that they preferred not to look at. God knew that before the problem could be dealt with it must be brought out into the open. Some people may think that by far the best way of dealing with unacceptable thoughts and feelings is to push them back into the unconscious but, as we are now seeing, that is a fallacy. Problems that are buried inside us rather than brought out into the light work to drain us of spiritual energy. It takes a lot of emotional energy to keep things repressed. This is why people who repeatedly use the defence of repression end up feeling overtired. Healthy people are those who, like the psalmist in  <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73">Psalm 73</span>, bring their thoughts and feelings into awareness - no matter how "unspiritual" those thoughts and feelings may appear to be. </p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">Father, I now begin to see why You bring me face to face with so many disturbing questions, for You know the havoc that is wrought within when issues are ignored or denied. Help me face anything and everything. In Your Name. Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+139:13-24">Psalm 139:13-24</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="1co+11:27-28">1 Corinthians 11:27-28</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="la+3:40">Lamentations 3:40</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What was the psalmist's prayer?</li><li>Why is the communion service so important?</li></ul></div></div>

" Clear me from hidden and unconscious faults." (v. 12, Amplified Bible) 

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="job+21:1-9">Job 21:1-9</span></span></p><p>Before moving on, we pause to remind ourselves once more of the question with which the psalmist struggles in  <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73">Psalm 73</span>: Why is it that the wicked seem to prosper while the path of the righteous is beset by so many difficulties? Look now at how the psalmist views the condition of the ungodly: "They suffer no violent pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they smitten and plagued like other men. Therefore pride is about their neck as a chain; violence covers them as a garment - as a long, luxurious robe"  (<span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73:4-6">Psalm 73:4-6</span>, Amplified Bible). What a graphic description this is of the person who has no time for God, yet goes on from day to day with few troubles. It is probably the most perfect picture in all literature of the so-called successful man of the world. Note that the psalmist begins his description of the ungodly with a reference to the way they die: "They suffer no violent pangs in their death." Throughout time the notion has been universally present that a good life ends in a good death, but the psalmist makes the observation that in his experience the reverse is true. Have you not struggled with these same feelings whenever you have heard of a Christian dying in great agony while a non-Christian passes away peacefully in his sleep? What do you do with those feelings? Ignore them? Deny them? Repress them? Remember, it is only exposed problems that can be resolved. I say again, if you are not willing to face a problem, how can you go about getting it resolved? </p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">O God, save me from denying the difficult problems and feelings I encounter in life. Help me understand that it is easier to deal with things when they are up and out than when they lie buried within. In Jesus' Name. Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="lu+12:15-21">Luke 12:15-21</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="lu+16:19-31">Luke 16:19-31</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+14:1">Psalm 14:1</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+53:1">Psalm 53:1</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="pr+12:15">Proverbs 12:15</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What is the danger of worldly prosperity?</li><li>How did Jesus draw the contrast in his parables?</li></ul></div></div>

"Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?" (v. 7) 

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+51:1-9">Psalm 51:1-9</span></span></p><p>Even the most casual reader of  <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73">Psalm 73</span> cannot help but be struck by the openness and honesty of the psalmist. He says: "My feet had almost slipped  for I envied the arrogant" (vv. 2-3). This again is one of the great values of the book of Psalms - it brings home to us the importance of acknowledging what is going on in our hearts when we are caught up in the midst of conflict. I cannot stress enough how spiritually damaging it is to ignore or deny our true feelings. There is a form of teaching going around in some Christian circles today which holds that one should never admit or acknowledge a negative thought or feeling - not even for a single second. Life must be lived positively, it is said, and that means refusing to consider or even glance at anything negative. What nonsense! The people who advocate this approach to life can never have read the book of Psalms. I am all for a positive approach to life, but positivism first involves facing things realistically no matter how negative they may be. How can you know what you need to be positive about until you have clearly seen what is troubling you? Once an issue is faced, and faced realistically, then the matter can and must be dealt with in a positive way. But to try and be positive without bringing into clear focus what is wrong is like building a house on sand. No matter how much cement is poured into the foundations, and no matter how well the walls are reinforced, when a storm comes it will sink without trace. </p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">Father, drive this truth deeply into my spirit, for I see that it is not enough to be honest with You and others, I must also be honest with myself. Help me get there and stay there. In Jesus' Name I ask it Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="pr+12:15-22">Proverbs 12:15-22</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="le+19:11">Leviticus 19:11</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="mal+2:6">Malachi 2:6</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What word does the Bible use for denial?</li><li>What delights the Lord?</li></ul></div></div>

"Surely you desire truth in the inner parts " (v. 6) 

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="jas+1:2-8">James 1:2-8</span></span></p><p>We continue meditating on the first verse of  <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73">Psalm 73</span>: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart." The psalmist has gone through an experience of crippling doubt but the great thing is this: he has emerged from it spiritually enriched and with a deeper confidence in the goodness of God. So he starts with that conclusion and then tells us how he got there. This is one of the great values of the psalms - they reflect and analyse the experiences that we are called upon to face. Ray Steadman says of the psalms: "They are an enactment of what most of us are going through, have gone through or will go through in the walk of faith." Every one of us will be able to understand the psalmist's struggle: we start off with a positive faith in God's goodness and then something happens which causes us to be plagued with doubts. The problem then is how to get back to where we were. This is what the psalmist does in this psalm - he shows us how to return to the place where the soul finds true peace. We should not forget that the strongest convictions are born in the throes of doubt. The statement "God is good to Israel" is a statement grounded in experience. In a similar vein, Dostoevsky, the famous Russian novelist, could say: "It is not as a child that I believe and confess Christ. My hosannah is 'born of a furnace of doubt.' " Doubts may discourage but they need not demoralise you. It is not what happens to you, but what you make of it that matters. </p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">Gracious and loving Father, I pray that You will do for me what You did for the psalmist and help me turn my strongest doubts into my strongest beliefs. I offer You my willingness - now add to it Your power. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+13:1">Psalm 13:1</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+69:3">Psalm 69:3</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+119:82">Psalm 119:82</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What characteristic did the psalmist display?</li><li>What was his confession of faith?</li></ul></div></div>

" that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (v. 4) 

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="mal+3:13-18">Malachi 3:13-18</span></span></p><p>Although in  <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73">Psalm 73</span> the psalmist is beset by doubt, he begins, nevertheless, on a triumphant note: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart." Preachers usually leave their conclusion until the end of their sermon - but here the psalmist begins with it! It might seem strange to some that the psalmist should begin with a conclusion, but this is often seen in the book of Psalms. And the reason is this: the psalmist is so convinced of the fact that God is good that he decides to start right there. It is as if he is saying: "I want to tell you how I moved from doubt to faith, but the thing I want you to get right away is this: God is good." Some commentators believe that in the Temple services there was a time of open testimony and worship, similar to that which featured in the old Methodist class meetings, when individuals gave testimonies to their fellow believers of God's dealings with them. This is one of the most powerful ways of building the spiritual life of the Church, but regrettably it does not seem to be widely practised today. If this psalm was part of the psalmist's testimony during an open time of worship, one can imagine the impact it would have made upon the hearers as he related how he emerged from crippling doubt to renewed confidence in the goodness of God. I know of nothing more motivating in the Christian life than for believers to identify and share the spiritual principles which have enabled them to overcome attacks on their faith. When we ignore this principle we do so at our peril.</p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">O Father, show us clearly how sharing with each other what You are doing in our lives not only inspires and motivates us, but greatly strengthens the Body. Help us restore this lost emphasis wherever it is missing. In Jesus' Name. Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="joh+3:25-36">John 3:25-36</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="joh+5:39">John 5:39</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="joh+15:26">John 15:26</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ac+20:24">Acts 20:24</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>When was the last time you publicly testified to the goodness of God?</li><li>When will be the next time?</li></ul></div></div>

"Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other " (v. 16) 

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73:1-28">Psalm 73:1-28</span></span></p><p>We begin today a verse-by-verse examination of one of the great passages in the Bible - the seventy-third psalm. If you were to ask any group of Christians to name their favourite psalm most would probably reply: "The twenty-third." And it is not difficult to understand why. The simplicity and beauty of its language, together with its comforting content, has endeared it to millions. Unfortunately the seventy-third psalm is not so well known, but in my opinion it deserves to be. The truths and insights it contains provide us with some of the most steadying and encouraging revelations to be found anywhere in the Word of God. The issue with which the psalmist struggles in this psalm is this: Why do the godly suffer so much when the ungodly, generally speaking, seem to get off scot-free? So deeply does this question cut into his soul that he is brought to the point of near despair: "My feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold" (v. 2). Whilst there, however, he discovers some spiritual principles that bring him step by step to the heights of spiritual assurance. Are you puzzled by the fact that though you are following the Lord, life is extremely difficult? Do you wonder why those who live in opposition to the Almighty seem to have an easier time than those who are committed to His cause? Take heart. It is possible to find a foothold on this slippery path of doubt. The psalmist found it, and so can you. Follow me day by day through this thrilling psalm and you will discover a few more footholds for your faith. </p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">Gracious and loving heavenly Father, help me as I begin this quest for greater light and illumination on life's problems, for I know that a faith which does not hold my intellect will not hold my heart. I would have both held by You. Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="eze+18:24-32">Ezekiel 18:24-32</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="jer+12:1">Jeremiah 12:1</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="hab+1:1-4">Habakkuk 1:1-4</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What was the complaint of the Israelites?</li><li>What was the Lord's response?</li></ul></div></div>

" I have put my trust in the Lord God "(v. 28, NKJ) 

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="ec+7:15-18">Ecclesiastes 7:15-18</span></span></p><p>One perplexing situation for which wisdom and a divine perspective is needed, says Solomon, is when we see the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper. The psalmist struggled with this age-old problem (particularly in  <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73">Psalm 73</span>), and so have millions since. A tyrant lives on, while a missionary family on their way to bring help and medical care to others is lost in a plane crash. You can't make sense of that unless you have an unshakable trust in God, and believe that one day (not now) He will answer every question to our satisfaction. The second issue for which wisdom and a divine perspective is needed is the matter of spiritual balance. "Do not be overrighteous" is Solomon's advice (v. 16). He is thinking here, I believe, of those who (forgive the cliche) are too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good. I know people who think they are head over heels in love with the Lord, but who have no love for others. The apostle John called these people "liars" (<span class="scriptRef" ref="1jo+4:20">1 John 4:20</span>). Super-spirituality is out, says Solomon; it's an extreme. But lest we go to the other extreme he speaks out against this also: "Do not be overwicked" (v. 17). All of us, because of the Fall, have a wicked streak within us, and we should watch that we do not indulge that. He is not saying you can get away with a little wickedness. Far from it. He is saying don't give way to it. Solomon is pleading for moderation. Extremes and excesses are destructive. Keep your balance.</p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">O God, teach me how to avoid all excesses and extremes so that I might be a truly balanced Christian. I would shun overspirituality as I would shun unbridled urges and lusts. Help me, my Father. In Jesus' Name. Amen.</p>

"The man who fears God will avoid all [extremes]." (v. 18)

<p>O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. § Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup.<br><br>He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. § 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. § Our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. § The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands.</p>

Daily Light on the Daily Path or Daily Light is a Christian daily devotional scripture reading published by Bagster & Sons about 1875. It has been reprinted continually since then. It consists of brief groupings of scripture passages which speak to prominent Biblical themes—two themes (morning and evening) for each day of the year. It appends no commentary, but simply allows scripture to speak for itself.

Morning Daily Light

 For this is God, our God forever and ever;  He will be our guide even to death. 

<p>The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? § He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. § My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.<br><br>If God is for us, who can be against us? § The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? § Through You we will push down our enemies; through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us. § We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.<br><br>Arise and begin working, and the Lord be with you.</p>

 Be strong and of good courage. 

<p>All things are yours … And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. § Our … Savior Jesus Christ … gave Himself for us. § He … gave Him to be head over all things to the church. § Christ … loved the church and gave Himself for her … that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.<br><br>My soul shall make its boast in the Lord. § I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.<br><br>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. § O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord.” … O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance.</p>

 You are my portion, O Lord. 

<p>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. § O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance.<br><br>“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I hope in Him!”<br><br>Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart. O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water… Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.<br><br>My beloved is mine, and I am his.</p>

Evening Daily Light

 I am your portion and your inheritance. 

<p>Heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. § All things are yours. § My beloved is mine. § The Son of God … loved me and gave Himself for me. The Lord said to Aaron: “You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.”<br><br>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.<br><br>Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. § I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.<br><br>O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land.</p>

 O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup. 

<p>Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue. § My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.<br><br>The Father … will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever … The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name. § Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.<br><br>If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus … And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.</p>

 Consolation in Christ … comfort of love … fellowship of the Spirit. 

<p><span class="bible-text "> <sup class="verse-num poetry-line">26 </sup><poetry>My flesh and my heart   may fail,  <br/><indent>but God is the strength   of my heart</indent><br/><indent>and my portion   forever.</indent><span class="pb"></span></poetry> </span></p>

My flesh and my heart<cr>1</cr>  may fail,<cr>2</cr> <br/><indent>but God is the strength<cr>3</cr>  of my heart</indent><br/><indent>and my portion<cr>4</cr>  forever.</indent><pb/>

Psalm 73:26

 26 My flesh and my heart   may fail,   but God is the strength   of my heart and my portion   forever. 

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

<p><span class="bible-text "><poetry>My flesh and my heart   may fail,  <br/><indent>but God is the strength   of my heart</indent><br/><indent>and my portion   forever.</indent><span class="pb"></span></poetry> </span></p>

 My flesh and my heart   may fail,   but God is the strength   of my heart and my portion   forever. 

Bible Verse of the Day

August 25, 1889

Psalm 73:26 NIV

Verse by Verse Bible Study

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