25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
The psalmist, by using a very persuasive Hebrew device of a question and an assertion, here expresses his profound and firm love for God. He is supremely satisfied in God. He desires no one more than the LORD whom he has been trusting. Such should be the sentiment of every child of God towards God.
By asking “Whom have I in heaven but thee?”, the psalmist exalts God above all the angels and the souls of the departed who are in God’s presence. None of the angels – not even the archangel – is worthy of such complete trust and adoration which the psalmist has for God.
Similar sentiments of affection and adulation towards the matchless greatness and glory of the exalted God of heaven have been confessed by many of His servants. Moses said, “O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might” (Deuteronomy 3:24)? King Solomon testified, “LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart” (1 Kings 8:23). Similarly, Job affirmed in the face of mistrust and false accusations, “Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high” (Job 16:19). The psalmist also openly sang, “For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD” (Psalm 89:6)?
Truly, “great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods” (1 Chronicles 16:25). May we, too, “praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven” (Psalm 148:13).
The unparalleled greatness and goodness of our God also cause the psalmist to unequivocally declare, “there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” He would go to no one but his God for the help he needs. He is assured that the God of heaven is very gracious and will condescend to aid him in all his difficulties and struggles. The matchless greatness and goodness of God make His child crave for His presence and support. May we truly say, “The Lord is with me; I am satisfied in Him.”