Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
The verse confesses God alone, and Christ as Redeemer, as the supreme desire in heaven and on earth, above every person, treasure and earthly good, with nothing else desired beside Him. Joined to what stands before and after it, it expresses confidence that God is continually present, holds by the right hand, guides by His counsel and afterward receives to glory, and that when flesh and heart fail He remains the strength of the heart and the portion forever. It is the experience and language of true, believing, trusting children of God and overcomers, who keep integrity, remain unspotted from the world, follow Jesus in self-denial and cross-bearing, and fix their eyes on the Saviour who drew them in everlasting love. It becomes personal through knowing by experience the value of God's law, making unreserved immediate surrender, giving Christ first place in the heart, drawing near in earnest prayer until God draws near, and clinging simply to the cross with nothing to bring. Living it transforms character by beholding Christ as the pure Pattern, depends wholly on God's keeping power, Spirit and grace rather than on human strength, is declared by putting all trust in the Lord and recounting His works, and is tested by love for Christ's appearing and by refusing to let earthly dear ones take God's place.
God the Supreme Desire
The confession is that God alone is the supreme desire both in heaven and on earth, with no person, treasure, or earthly good desired beside Him. Christ as Redeemer is that supreme object of longing, given first place in the heart by the trembling soul that seeks Him in simple trust. It is a whole life desiring Him above all above and all below, refusing to be drawn by temptation and allurement from the work for God. Living this desire day by day puts a person on vantage ground with calm peaceful face, clothed in garments of righteousness and salvation.
Joined to the preceding verse it expresses confidence that the believer is continually with God, held by the right hand, guided by His counsel, and afterward received to glory. That guidance and future welcome make His heavenly presence the deepest hope, treasured above all earthly things. This confidence in unfailing love gives the heart reason for praise rather than complaint.
Joined to the following verse it teaches that when flesh and heart fail, God remains the strength of the heart and the portion forever. He is beheld by the eye of faith as the invisible One who never fails, giving the soul strength and becoming the joy of life. This exclusive trust shapes the whole life and holds amid worldly temptation.
It is the heart's language of praise and thanksgiving, flowing like clear streams as the awakened voice of spiritual song on the pilgrimage journey. It reviews manifestations of mercy, unfailing love, power and deliverance, and talks of loving faithfulness as the true tender compassionate Shepherd of the flock, rather than reviewing dark chapters of experience to complain or murmur. It is offered with simplicity, fervor and first love when truth is appreciated and Christ abides within with a sense of great mercy and loving-kindness. It is spoken in congregation and home life by recounting works and telling of goodness and power, with songs instead of murmuring, as part of preparing the way of the Lord in a new experience according to given light.
Living and Applying Confession
This confession is the individual experience and language of true, believing, trusting children of God and of overcomers. They are learners rather than novices, instructed while instructing others, who keep integrity, remain unspotted from the world, follow Jesus in self-denial and cross-bearing, and keep their eyes fixed on the Saviour. They are drawn by cords of mercy in everlasting love and trust the God who gave His Son so that believers should not perish but have everlasting life. Their hearts, moved by the Holy Spirit with Christ abiding within, center wholly on God in simplicity, fervor, and first love.
It becomes personal through knowing by blessed experience the value of God's law, separating from all that mars character, and making unreserved immediate surrender to God. It is the language of a trembling soul seeking Christ in simple trust and giving Him first place in the heart. As a person recognizes the Lord Jesus as a present helper and draws near to God in earnest prayer, God draws near and kindles His love in the heart, making the person able to speak His words. Contemplating Christ enables the personal confession that Christ the Redeemer is the sole desire in heaven and on earth. Trust is bringing no price in the hand and clinging simply to the cross.
Living it transforms character by beholding Christ as the pure, holy, undefiled Pattern, and it testifies to the world of the power of grace in transforming human character. It prepares for the society of heavenly angels, and alone fits a person for Christ to be Head and Prince in the heavenly courts. Day by day living Bible truth puts a person on vantage ground with a calm and peaceful face, clothed in garments of righteousness and salvation, able through integrity to glorify God and give comfort and hope to others. Such a one walks carefully in equity and uprightness so that weak, struggling, halting souls are not led out of the way, refuses to cooperate with worldly men to carry out worldly principles or to be drawn by temptation and worldly allurements from the work for God, and plucks the leaves of the tree of life for the healing of the nations.
It means wholehearted dependence on God's continual keeping power, Spirit, grace, and special help amid weakness, difficulties, and seeming impossibilities rather than on fellow man or human strength. The life is hid with Christ in God, holding Him as the crown of rejoicing and miserable when separated from Jesus. He is all and in all and alone can give the help the heart desires, so all difficulties may be brought to the heavenly Father. Even in physical weakness the soul may draw near without reasoning its case because He understands necessities and will not misinterpret expressed needs.
It is declared by finding it good to draw near to God, putting all trust in the Lord God, and declaring all His works. It is spoken as praise and thanksgiving to God both in the congregation and in the home life, recounting His works and telling of His goodness and His power. It gives songs of praise instead of murmuring and complaining. This is part of preparing the way of the Lord with a new experience according to the light given.
The love it expresses is tested by desire for Christ's appearing, since those who truly loved the Saviour would have welcomed the first announcement of His return with joy, while dislike of that announcement showed lack of love and desire for His appearing. Earthly people and things must not become so dear as to take God's place. When losing a loved one, strong faith in God remains the only sure hope.
The verse confesses God alone, and Christ as Redeemer, as the supreme desire in heaven and on earth, above every person, treasure and earthly good, with nothing else desired beside Him. Joined to what stands before and after it, it expresses confidence that God is continually present, holds by the right hand, guides by His counsel and afterward receives to glory, and that when flesh and heart fail He remains the strength of the heart and the portion forever. It is the experience and language of true, believing, trusting children of God and overcomers, who keep integrity, remain unspotted from the world, follow Jesus in self-denial and cross-bearing, and fix their eyes on the Saviour who drew them in everlasting love. It becomes personal through knowing by experience the value of God's law, making unreserved immediate surrender, giving Christ first place in the heart, drawing near in earnest prayer until God draws near, and clinging simply to the cross with nothing to bring. Living it transforms character by beholding Christ as the pure Pattern, depends wholly on God's keeping power, Spirit and grace rather than on human strength, is declared by putting all trust in the Lord and recounting His works, and is tested by love for Christ's appearing and by refusing to let earthly dear ones take God's place.
God the Supreme Desire
The confession is that God alone is the supreme desire both in heaven and on earth, with no person, treasure, or earthly good desired beside Him. Christ as Redeemer is that supreme object of longing, given first place in the heart by the trembling soul that seeks Him in simple trust. It is a whole life desiring Him above all above and all below, refusing to be drawn by temptation and allurement from the work for God. Living this desire day by day puts a person on vantage ground with calm peaceful face, clothed in garments of righteousness and salvation.
Joined to the preceding verse it expresses confidence that the believer is continually with God, held by the right hand, guided by His counsel, and afterward received to glory. That guidance and future welcome make His heavenly presence the deepest hope, treasured above all earthly things. This confidence in unfailing love gives the heart reason for praise rather than complaint.
Joined to the following verse it teaches that when flesh and heart fail, God remains the strength of the heart and the portion forever. He is beheld by the eye of faith as the invisible One who never fails, giving the soul strength and becoming the joy of life. This exclusive trust shapes the whole life and holds amid worldly temptation.
It is the heart's language of praise and thanksgiving, flowing like clear streams as the awakened voice of spiritual song on the pilgrimage journey. It reviews manifestations of mercy, unfailing love, power and deliverance, and talks of loving faithfulness as the true tender compassionate Shepherd of the flock, rather than reviewing dark chapters of experience to complain or murmur. It is offered with simplicity, fervor and first love when truth is appreciated and Christ abides within with a sense of great mercy and loving-kindness. It is spoken in congregation and home life by recounting works and telling of goodness and power, with songs instead of murmuring, as part of preparing the way of the Lord in a new experience according to given light.
Living and Applying Confession
This confession is the individual experience and language of true, believing, trusting children of God and of overcomers. They are learners rather than novices, instructed while instructing others, who keep integrity, remain unspotted from the world, follow Jesus in self-denial and cross-bearing, and keep their eyes fixed on the Saviour. They are drawn by cords of mercy in everlasting love and trust the God who gave His Son so that believers should not perish but have everlasting life. Their hearts, moved by the Holy Spirit with Christ abiding within, center wholly on God in simplicity, fervor, and first love.
It becomes personal through knowing by blessed experience the value of God's law, separating from all that mars character, and making unreserved immediate surrender to God. It is the language of a trembling soul seeking Christ in simple trust and giving Him first place in the heart. As a person recognizes the Lord Jesus as a present helper and draws near to God in earnest prayer, God draws near and kindles His love in the heart, making the person able to speak His words. Contemplating Christ enables the personal confession that Christ the Redeemer is the sole desire in heaven and on earth. Trust is bringing no price in the hand and clinging simply to the cross.
Living it transforms character by beholding Christ as the pure, holy, undefiled Pattern, and it testifies to the world of the power of grace in transforming human character. It prepares for the society of heavenly angels, and alone fits a person for Christ to be Head and Prince in the heavenly courts. Day by day living Bible truth puts a person on vantage ground with a calm and peaceful face, clothed in garments of righteousness and salvation, able through integrity to glorify God and give comfort and hope to others. Such a one walks carefully in equity and uprightness so that weak, struggling, halting souls are not led out of the way, refuses to cooperate with worldly men to carry out worldly principles or to be drawn by temptation and worldly allurements from the work for God, and plucks the leaves of the tree of life for the healing of the nations.
It means wholehearted dependence on God's continual keeping power, Spirit, grace, and special help amid weakness, difficulties, and seeming impossibilities rather than on fellow man or human strength. The life is hid with Christ in God, holding Him as the crown of rejoicing and miserable when separated from Jesus. He is all and in all and alone can give the help the heart desires, so all difficulties may be brought to the heavenly Father. Even in physical weakness the soul may draw near without reasoning its case because He understands necessities and will not misinterpret expressed needs.
It is declared by finding it good to draw near to God, putting all trust in the Lord God, and declaring all His works. It is spoken as praise and thanksgiving to God both in the congregation and in the home life, recounting His works and telling of His goodness and His power. It gives songs of praise instead of murmuring and complaining. This is part of preparing the way of the Lord with a new experience according to the light given.
The love it expresses is tested by desire for Christ's appearing, since those who truly loved the Saviour would have welcomed the first announcement of His return with joy, while dislike of that announcement showed lack of love and desire for His appearing. Earthly people and things must not become so dear as to take God's place. When losing a loved one, strong faith in God remains the only sure hope.