Daily Devotions
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26
In our success-oriented society no word conjures up more dread than the word “failure.” Students fear to take home a report card with an F. Aspiring athletes hang their heads when cut from a team. Unfortunately, high achievers condemn themselves as failures when falling short of the first prize or the highest office or the million dollar bonus. Failures abound, with divorces, bankruptcies, prison terms, unemployment, and alcoholism. In short, every one of us lives with the reality of failure, either real or imagined.
The psalmist has been struggling with failure because he looks enviously at the prosperity of the wicked. He sees them with healthy and strong bodies, free from human burdens, and fabulously wealthy. He bemoans his own struggles and ill-treatment by these wicked people. Then he realizes his own foolishness and stupidity. He has failed to see God’s love for him.
Failures? Not in God’s eyes. He created us in His image. Despite the failure of our sinful rebellion, God sent His own Son into the world. Living faithfully in love, obedience, and service, Jesus was rated a failure in the eyes of the world. His crucifixion appeared to signal a final humiliating defeat. But in that sin-atoning act, Jesus won the victory. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection for us, God accepts us as His special people, headed for eternal life in heaven. Yes, God is the Strength of our hearts and our Portion forever. Failures no more.
PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for winning the victory so that we can now spend eternity with You. Amen.
(Devotions from “My Daily Devotion” by Dr. Stephen J. Carter, copyright 1988 CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time emailing of this link to a friend. For ordering information, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit www.cph.org.)