“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.” Psalms 73:25-26 NKJV
Welcome to the fourth weekly devotional recap of the year. Our focus this week centered on finding true and lasting satisfaction only in Christ, and practical steps to maintain our spiritual well-being, including managing failure, combating jealousy, and planning with purpose.
We began with the powerful truth that we will never find true or lasting fulfillment in worldly possessions or people, as God designed us to find satisfaction only in Him (Psalms 73:25-26). Earthly desires, while not inherently bad, become a problem when they are elevated to idols. We must set our sights and affections on Christ and the realities of heaven (Colossians 3:1-2), ensuring our joy is rooted in the immutable Christ so it remains intact even if we lose everything.
Monday’s article addressed emotional distress, noting that prolonged worry often leads to depression. As believers, we have the ability to regulate our disposition by aligning our thoughts with our reality in Christ (Colossians 3:1-2). True contentment is found in realizing who we are in Christ, not in material things. We can battle feelings of devastation through prayer—the best strategy for soul maintenance—and by making bold declarations of our realities in Christ (Romans 8:28).
We were reminded on Tuesday of the constant assurance that God is with us even in the darkest and most difficult seasons, the “valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4; Isaiah 43:2). This truth must rise above our fleeting feelings and eliminate fear. We are urged to stop worrying and cast all our concerns on Him in prayer (Psalm 55:22; John 14:27), trusting that He cares for us and will provide guidance and strength to face whatever is before us.
On Wednesday, we learnt that failure is an unavoidable part of life in a flawed world (John 16:33). The first step to overcoming it is finding comfort in the knowledge that we have a good Father. We are then instructed to get back up and move on (Jeremiah 8:4). Overcoming failure requires resilience, characterized by the godly person who may trip seven times but gets up again (Proverbs 24:16). We must not wallow in past failures but recognize that God can still use us for His glory.
Thursday taught us that jealousy is a destructive work of the flesh that causes disorder and evil (James 3:15-16), as seen in the destructive example of King Saul’s pursuit of David (1 Samuel 18:29). To overcome this spiritual virus, we must first admit the struggle, then seek God’s help in prayer (Psalms 139:23-24). Finally, we must actively cultivate contentment by counting our own blessings (Psalms 103:2) and celebrating the success of others, remembering that love does not envy.
The week concluded with a call to Plan with Purpose, understanding that good planning and hard work lead to prosperity (Proverbs 21:5). Before acting, we must first pray to receive direction and alignment with God’s will (1 Peter 5:7). Like Noah, who built the ark according to a plan (Genesis 6:15), we must create a blueprint for the assignments God has given us. It is vital to be diligent and brave in implementing those directives, committing them to God for establishment.
Dear believer, let Christ alone be your satisfaction this year. Maintain your focus on Him, rise above failure, fight off jealousy, and plan your days with purpose, resting in the truth that He is the strength of your heart and your portion forever.
Have a great weekend!
Bible Reading Plan: Exodus 7-8, Matthew 17:9-18:7