Read Psalm 73:26 April 1976 and young Marc is about to take the training wheels off his bike. My dad had taken me to a playground with a small hill; everyone knows it’s easier to pedal when you’re moving. He put me at the top of the little hill and had me push off. He paid no attention to the merrygoround at the bottom of the hill, but my bike did! My did was wanting me to keep my balance, he figured I would steer. Didn’t happen. I went into that merrygoround head first earning me four stitches in my forehead. My dad’s decision to help me backfired and got me hurt. Asaph comes to his conclusion in verse 26 only after some trial, some error and some failure. After telling us his struggle throughout the Psalm, we arrive at verse 26. He makes failure relevant and real in his statement, “My flesh and my heart fail”. He has failed in every part of his life, his thoughts and his actions. He knew not to stay and dwell too long on those failures. He immediately gave a solution. The solution was God and He is the strength of his heart and his portion. I want to make sure we get the correct picture. The idea in the original is not about getting stronger but about God being a place of protection and refuge. Although you fail, there is a place of protection for you to regroup. The word portion means an allotment, a specific thing. When you put it the two words together you get this: While you are regrouping God is your portion, he is exactly what you need. We are going to goof up, drop the ball or fail. Our heart will be in the right place, but we still might make the wrong call. We have a place to go and regroup and a God who loves us. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians in our weakness God is made strong. God gets to show why He is God in our weakest moments. What a great incentive to keep on trying and learning; we have a God who encourages and picks us up. Reflect: Do you fail? Do some of your best plans not go as expected? Michael Jordan was quoted as saying, “I’ve never missed a shot I didn’t take”. When we embrace the reality failure is possible but God is there to help and guide us, those failures take on a different perspective. When we slow down and let God guide us, those failures will lessen and our confidence will grow. Pray: As you pray today ask for confidence and guidance. Ask for God’s help in decision making. More than anything else ask him for reassurance in times of failure. // TWO-A-DAYS // GO A LITTLE FARTHER WITH YOUR DAILY DEVOTIONS // Go through these questions with your spouse, kids, or friend, or you can even journal about the answers to these questions:
- What was the best part of your day?
- What was the toughest part of your day?
- Where did you mess up today?
- Where did you see God today?
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