Whom have I in heaven but you?

Psalm 73:25-26 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

The feeling of loneliness can be profound when we are persecuted. When there are others who would seek to cause us distress, worry or even harm we feel this persecution acutely. In times like these we reach out to close friends and family for support. And it is in these times where the love of God flows out from ordinary people.

I related a story last week of a friend who was being harassed by a business competitor. In that devotional we talked about praying for the soul of the persecutor. We prayed for a change to take place in that individual. But, what of my friend?  And what of others we know who may also be in fear of someone or something?  How can we help? A few thoughts, and verses are available to help guide us, and reassure our friends.

Fear is one of the base emotions we have to deal with. An opposite of comfort, fear leaves us weakened, and vulnerable. When we are living in a condition of fear, we are missing a key element of our lives. We are forgetting that God is the source of our comfort and strength.  Psalm 73:25-26 is a very poignant reminder of what we have. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. We are blessed in our faith to know the comfort given to us by the “Comforter” that is the Holy Spirit. We may seem to be alone, but that is simply not the case. Help is only a prayer away. We are reminded in Psalm 120:1 In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.  We reach out for comfort and reassurance by praying. We pray for comfort, for protection and strength to endure what lies before us. And we pray for friends to reach out to. We ask for those who know us to be there for us when we are in need. The love of God, in human form is often what we seek. And we who are friends need to be there, even when it is difficult or inconvenient for us to be there. We know God is with us, and when we need reminding, we have friends to help us in our forgetfulness.

PRAYER: Lord, You are the source of our strength, the well spring of comfort and hope. In times of trial and tribulation we cry out to You O Lord. You answer us and comfort us as a parent comforts a child. Father, we thank You for Your love, Amen