Saturday, February 5, 2011

No Good Thing

I can think of a lot of things that are "good." Things like warm passion tea, pretty flowers, Pride & Prejudice, cute kids, sweet family, wonderful friends, and chocolate-covered strawberries. There are even bigger things that I perceive as "good," even if I have yet to achieve them- being a good cook, marriage, motherhood, living in another country, being a grandparent (that really excites me... ha), etc.
Psalm 16:2 says "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." There are things in this life that I want SO badly, and I want them so much that I feel entitled to them. But how often do those "good" things become the sole things I am striving for?
I absolutely LOVE Psalm 73:25-26:
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
I find it easy to make myself believe that I love the Lord more than anything else. But when I put it into different terms- do I desire God the most?- then I find that there are many other things that compete for my affections. What would happen if everything was stripped away from me and I was left with nothing but God? Would I be satisfied? My flesh and my heart and my family and my future and my yummy chocolate-covered strawberries may fail, and they may disappear... but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever- apart from Him I have no good thing!
Christ loves us, no matter what we have to offer Him (and what we have to offer is nothing more than disgusting rags). Do we love Him, regardless of the blessings He gives us? My honest answer makes me cringe.

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