昨天我们看到诗篇七十三篇的诗人说：「除你以外，在天上我有谁呢？」。接着他说：「除你以外，在地上我也没有所爱慕的」（诗七十三25下）。我们今天会思想这一句话。我个人认为这是旧约其中一句最迷人的话。经文的第一部分以否定来表达，第二部分则以肯定的语气道出。诗人察看四周，发觉没有什么能够取代全能者而令他满足的事物，然后，诗人继续正面地从心底说出他要认识神的渴望。我相信他已明白渴慕神自己，比渴慕神所做的事情或赐下的东西更加重要。

从某种意义来说，诗人的整个问题源自他以神所赐的东西来取代神自己。不敬虔的人过着好日子，而他的日子却很不好过。为什么他要这样受苦？他的问题是他对神所赐的东西比对神更关心，而当他得不到自己想要的东西时，他便开始怀疑神的爱。不过，现在他已经来到单单渴慕神自己的境地。

基督徒生命的最终考验是：我们是为了神自己还是为了他所赐下的东西而渴慕他？我们每个人都必须自问：「我渴慕神多于渴慕获得赦免吗？多于脱离困难吗？多于疾病得医治吗？多于恩赐和能力吗？」可悲的是，我们的祷告可以充满请求，而当我们检视自己时，却发现我们对享受神的祝福的兴趣比享受神更大。

Yesterday we looked at the words: "Whom have I in heaven but you?". Now we examine the second part of that text: "And earth has nothing I desire besides you" (Psa. 73:25b). Personally, I find these some of the most enchanting words in the whole of the Old Testament. The first part of the verse is put in a negative, and the second in a positive form. Having looked around and seen that there is no satisfying substitute for the Almighty, the psalmist goes on to make the positive assertion that from the bottom of his heart he desires to know God. He has come to see (so I believe) that it is more important to desire God for who He is than for what He does or what He gives.

In a sense, the psalmist's entire problem arose out of the fact that he had put what God gives in the place of God Himself. The ungodly were having a good time while he was having a bad time. Why was he having to suffer like this? His trouble was that he had become more interested in the things God gives than in God Himself, and when he didn't have the things he wanted, he began to doubt God's love. Now, however, he has come to the place where he desires God for Himself.

The ultimate test of the Christian life is whether we desire God for Himself or for what He gives. Each one of us must ask ourselves: "Do I desire God more than forgiveness? More than release from my problems? More than healing of my condition? More than gifts and abilities?" How tragic that our prayers can be full of pleadings that show, when they are examined, that we are more interested in enjoying God's blessings than we are in enjoying God.