Never-the-Less

by: Carole L. Haines
Psalm 73:23-28

*Bold is Scripture 
**Normal is my prayers 

23 Nevertheless I am continually with You 
With no regard for my wandering, You take me back  
You Keep me continually with You. I sit here before You 
worn out by my own foolishness. Please restore me, Dearest Lord 
You have taken hold of my right hand. 
You have seized my right hand, You continually hold it 
even when I wander, you never let go and You never will 
24 With Your counsel You will guide me, 
Your counsel, advice, plan and purpose guide me 
they bring me, they lead me, they straighten my path before me 
And afterward receive me to glory. 
And when this life is behind me, You are there calling me home 
there to receive me, taking me away from this world  
where I never really fit in or belonged 
Because I belong to You, Lord. I belong with You 
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but You? 
There is not a loving soul amongst my closest friends 
who could ever compare to the Treasure You are, God 
You really are My Everything, My One thing, My only thing 
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. 
Compared to the treasure of having You, My Creator and God 
I delight in little else on this earth. No wonder I don’t fit in 
I am already there, at home, with You and I yearn 
for the completion of Soul I will know when I am finally with You 
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, 
My body will die, my heart will one day cease to beat 
But I am not afraid because I have You, Lord 
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 
You are my strength, my rock, the refuge of my heart. 
You are my Great Reward, now and forever 
Jesus, You said, “I delight to do Your Will.” 
Doing what You call me to is my portion and delight 
27 For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; 
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. 
28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; 
qerabah-The drawing Near of God,  
Closer than any friend 
more intimate than husband and wife,  
Most beloved, even beyond our children 
That is what you are to me, God 
Staying near to You is my very breath of life. 
I have made the Lord God my refuge, 
I have taken my stand, I have set my mind, I have fixed my heart 
on You, Lord God, as my refuge 
my hope, my trust, my shelter from storm and danger 
That I may tell of all Your works. 
All glory and honor to My Lord God in Heaven 
The One and Only True God, Jehovah 
All praise to Adonai who has saved me, who has rescued me 
who has come to my aid times without number. 
I will tell the world of Your faithful love