“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Psalm 73:26
We take a lot of comfort in our physical wellbeing. We care about the way we look. We try to keep our bodies healthy. We want to stay young as long as we can. The unfortunate truth is that we’re all getting older, and there’s nothing we can do about it. This psalm is a wonderful reminder not to put too much of our hope or identity in these earthly bodies that are getting older every day.
There is a unique hope that Christians have. We know that the end of this life on earth, which will come for all of us one day, is only the beginning of our lives. We know that we are eternal beings who have been saved and redeemed by Jesus, chosen by God to spend eternity with him. It’s the whole reason for our hope. It’s the whole reason for the gospel. It’s why we believe what we believe. And it changes everything about the way we should see our lives.
While most people are concerned with slowing down their body’s aging, taking vitamins and pills to keep them young, and working hard to maintain their strength, Christians can be assured that when their earthly body fails, they’ll have a new and better one in heaven. Now, is being healthy, fit, and proactive a bad thing? Absolutely not. It’s biblical to take care of your body! The point is simply that our flesh is temporary, but our souls are eternal. As Paul says it, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
We put our hope and our trust in God, not the flesh. The flesh fails, our hearts eventually stop beating, but our God lives forever. And we, the saved of Jesus Christ, will live forever with him. That is where we draw our strength, that is where we find our identity. It doesn’t fade, it doesn’t get old and grey, it is eternal. That’s the hope that we have through Jesus.
Prayer:
God,
Help me not to put my hope or identity in this earthly body but in your eternal word. I pray that you would help me to live my life not in view of the few years I have here, but in view of the eternity that I will spend with you in heaven.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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