"Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." Psalm 73:25-26

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Psalm 73

Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.

For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.

They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.

Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.

Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.

They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.

Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.

And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?

Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.

Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.

For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.

If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.

When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.

How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.

So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.

Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.

But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.

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"The first is “A psalm of Asaph.” The opening utterance as usual gives the key-note. It is God good to “Israel,” but only “to such as are pure in heart” — gracious to His people as a whole, and so known by those that honored Him as a God of judgment. But the trial produced by the prosperity of the wicked, while judgment is not yet executed, is vividly expressed, and the secret only known in His presence which gave the clue and turned all for good. Why the Revised Version repeats the error of the Authorized in verse 24 is hard to understand, if one knew not the force of habit. The mistranslation is probably due to Christian prejudice overriding the correct Israelitish hope. Yet it overthrows our real privilege. For those put to sleep by Jesus will God bring with Him. Hence when Christ, our life, shall be manifested, then shall we also with Him be manifested in glory. Whereas it is after the glory that God will receive Israel. Compare Zechariah 2:8. William Kelly, Psalm 73: Translation and Notes



"In presence of the evil, the disorder, the violence, and corruption in the world, we feel that God must intervene. If righteousness is to have any place in the world at all He must. And He intends it to have supreme place. The day is coming when "judgment shall return unto righteousness", when a king shall reign in righteousness.
"With righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth, and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall he slay the wicked." [Isaiah 11:4]

"Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever" (Isaiah 9:7). 
He has destined, too, the creation of "new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness." A reclaimed, restored, reconciled universe is not only to witness the supremacy of righteousness, but is also to be filled with, and be for ever characterised by it. The present world, needless to say, must experience vast changes before either can come about. And only by a direct active intervention on God's part can such change be effected. Those who look to the gradual development of existing agencies for righteousness being brought in and established, the gradual spread of the gospel, the permeating of society and the whole social order by civilising and righteous influences, are wholly wrong. Not by human effort; but by divine intervention shall, or can, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness."





"Whom Have I in Heaven but Thee?"

JESUS! 'tis Thou Thyself I need,
At every time, at every hour;
Oh! wilt Thou guide my feet, and lead
And keep me by Thy Spirit's power,
That from Thee I may never stray,
But still press on the narrow way.

Close to Thy side I fain would cling,
And learn the mysteries of Thy love,
Into Thy presence entering
With boldness through the precious blood;
Oh! Jesus' love is vaster far
Than all our poor conceptions are.

It is this love my soul would know,
Would learn it in its heights and depths,
Would mark it in that hour of woe,
When on the cross He tasted death— 
Would ponder all His wondrous ways,
And never cease His name to praise.

That precious name, it cheers the heart
When burden'd, or with care opprest,
Then to that blessed One I turn,
And always find a place of rest,
There on His bosom calmly stay,
And then—all else may pass away.

Yes—everything may pass away;
In Him my all in all I've found,
And having Him, sure I can say
Now I have all things and abound;
My precious Lord—to Thee I bow,
And own no other Lord but Thou.

It was the power of Jesus' cross,
That turn'd my darkness into light,
Now for His sake I'd count but loss,
All that might dim this precious sight;
Full well He knows the flesh how frail,
Yet in His strength I shall prevail.

Still 'tis Thyself, O Lord, I need
A sense of Jesus always near;
His love, the joy on which I feed,
His presence, all I need to cheer.
With this I'll sweetly journey on,
And wait till He, my Lord, shall come.







Photo by nate rayfield on Unsplash

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I'm a Christian saved by God, by His Sovereign grace. I want to encourage all to read, to hear, to believe, and to feed upon the only Words in all the world that are truly spirit and life, living and active; to know the One True God: God the Father, His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit; Who has graciously given us the Holy Scriptures
“All Scripture is God-breathed..."
2 Timothy 3:16–17; cf., John 3:31-36; John 6:63; John 14:26; John 17:3, 17; Romans 1:1-6, 16-17; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Peter 1:20–21; Hebrews 4:12-13. As for the commentaries I post and refer to; with much gratitude, as they have done for me, it is my hope and prayer that they serve to edify all who read them.

Shalom, beccaj
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