"Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." vv.25-26
Read chapter 73
Can you truly say with the psalmist here that there is none (no one, nothing) upon the earth that you desire besides God? This psalm describes the hearts searching for contentment.
Verses 3–12, we read the word “they” or “theirs” thirteen times. The psalmist is looking outward, and he’s focusing on other people; he compares his circumstances to theirs. "They get away with all kinds of things, and then they prosper. They sin, and they don’t seem to reap consequences" (paraphrase). When the writer of this psalm looks out at others, he finds himself being jealous and discontent. Then beginning in verse 13, he changes his focus. He’s no longer looking outward. Now he’s looking inward, and you see the word “I” or “me” or “my” sixteen times in this paragraph. He goes on, and his focus is on himself. When he looks inward, the result is self-pity and bitterness. "Beginning at verse 23, he comes back to a focus that is upward, a focus on God, and six times in that paragraph, he talks about the Lord, You. You see, he gets his perspective back on the eternal, and the result is a heart of contentment and trust and security" (Nancy Leigh Demoss). When all else fails, God is still there. When we don't understand prosperity of the wicked till we ask and look to Him. He is the best portion of this world and the one to come. He really is all we have. Spurgeon puts it, "turn away from the glitter which fascinates us to the true gold which is our real treasure."
How can you cultivate a contented heart?
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