Slippery Slope!

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by elizabethaudet

by elizabethaudet

Psalms 73:1-28

Haven't we talked enough about Wisdom? NO, NEVER! As long as humans identify themselves as Christians and keep revealing wishes for what the wicked possess they need to be reminded of the Wisdom of God's choice for them. He will provide all your needs and give you the desire of your heart, but let Him bring it to pass in His timing. He never fails! So we pursue the scriptural reminders in this study.

Asaph is credited with this Psalm according to many sources. He wrote 11 Psalms in all and two of them come in the Wisdom category (73&78). Who was Asaph? He was David's song leader according to 1Chronicles 16:4&5.-NEB-"David appointed some of the Levites to serve before the Lord's chest (ark of the covenant). In order to remember to give thanks, and to praise the Lord, Israel's God: Asaph was the leader, and Zechariah his assistant; also (others)...Asaph sounding the cymbals." (Read 1Chronicles 15:16-24 for more information." The words of Asaph were also used by King Hezekiah recorded in 2Chronicles 29:30-NEB- "Then King Hezekiah and the leaders ordered the Levites to praise the Lord by using the words of David and the seer Asaph. They did so joyously; then they bowed down in worship too." (Notice that they sang this in a happy manner, so it is not meant to be depressing! This was repeated in order to give God glory. How much more we need to give God praise in songs and Psalms!)

This is part of the wisdom to understand how God works. This is why I share this Book with you! Colossians 1:9-"Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we haven't stopped praying for you and asking for you to be filled with the knowledge of God's will, with all WISDOM and Spiritual understanding." Verse 28 says, "This is what we preach as we warn and teach every person with all WISDOM so that we might present each one mature in Christ." We just want you to grow up! This is where I stand! "It is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that may declare all thy works."-Psalms 73:28.KJV.

Why does a loving God allow evil and injustice to continue? Asaph begins with, "Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart." But sometimes it seems the rawness of life challenges this concept! We see it all around us. This verse is our assurance that God is doing everything for our good because of His love for us. Asaph is merely relating the inner struggle going on within him as in others. God is a God of mercy so therefore He is not in a hurry to blot out all sinner's actions by destroying them. (How patient was God for you-" in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us..." Think about it!).

Job also struggled with the same problem. Thus we find strength realizing the outcome of Job's life. He considered the imbalance of life's experiences between the Godly and the ungodly. There are plenty of Job's comforters who would give us advice as they did Job. Although some of it rang true they did not know the real situation as God did. Prayer is our best defense. Turn it over to God no matter what you see. Easy to say unless you are in their situation! Then you need the comfort of knowing God will see you through "the valley of the shadow of death." He does not glory or take pleasure in your suffering but He understands.

Asaph admits his serious problem is trying his faith. He sees the proud boasting of great prosperity in his wicked ways and it causes him to almost stumble and fall. Jealousy looks outward and fears! Please notice the phrase " my feet were ALMOST gone, my steps had WELL NIGH slipped." Do you see what I do? Who is keeping Asaph from completely collapsing? "The God (who) is good to Israel!"

Asaph knows this yet he goes on listing the advantages the wicked are enjoying. The big difference now is he sees his own problem along with it, "...I was envious of the foolish." He has identified his state of mind battle and their real character. Envy comes from their prosperity, their easy death, their strength, their lack of troubles, their healthy appearance, their pride displayed like jewels, their protection, their wealth, their oppression, and the mouthy way they get by with, even toward God. (Sounds like what we hear today concerning candidates for elections of any kind!) Asaph goes on to say he even has nightmares about their evil and wrongdoing. Job mourned over the same thing when even his wife turned on him and told him to "curse God and die!" We are told in the Bible, "In all this, Job didn't sin with his lips."

Asaph looks inward and discovers the real issue. He admits, Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning." He fears to show his feelings lest they affect the next generations but finds " it was too painful for me." How many times have you worried about the wicked practices introduced by the so-called authorities which would affect your children and grandchildren? This is what Asaph was concerned about. (But God)

Then Asaph did what we all need to do! "I went into the Sanctuary of God." The sanctuary is within you as a child of God regardless of the church you attend. It is wherever God meets with you. It could be a closet of prayer, an altar in a church, or a place where you connect with God and pour out your fears and listen for His answer. Listen for His voice! Abraham Lincoln said, " we are driven to God because we have nowhere else to go." How true as, the disciples said to Jesus, "To. whom else can we go for You have the words of eternal life." With the enemy behind them and the sea before the Israelites, Exodus 14:21 tells us, "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the Lord pushed the sea back by a strong east wind turning the sea to dry land." God is always on time! Asaph says, "then I understood their end."

Within the sanctuary pride, health, self-glory, and wealth add nothing to the life of the ungodly. Satan attempts to make sin attractive. We have gone from acknowledging God's greatness to the " but " when we look around us at wicked revelry in wealth, health and glory to the "nevertheless " which begins the final judgment of God. Our new viewpoint is in verses18-20. The wicked are

"In a slippery place;"

"Cast down for destruction"

"Brought to desolation"

"Utterly consumed with terror"

"Despised by God

Not a place I want to be! Truth is so much better. Exodus 7:6 says "I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Hit the rock and water will come out of it, and the people will be able to drink." Always on time! This was Israel's answer from God to their question, "Is God with us, or not." In Numbers 20:11 we see him part the Jordan waters at the second the priest's feet touch the waters while it was flowing downstream and the water heaped up and left dry ground beneath so that it cut off water from the area beyond. God's perfect timing again! We used to sing, "If Jesus said it, I believe it, His Word cannot lie, if it's written in the Bible I believe it 'tilI die, though the mountains be removed and Cast into the sea , if Jesus said it, I believe it for all eternity!" I still do!

God knew everything and knows everything so we can trust Him. He is not limited as we are to time and place. (Read Acts 17:26; Isaiah 26:3&4; Jeremiah 17:5-8). Asaph poured out his heart to this God who is all-knowing! He said, " My heart was grieved... " FINALLY HE WAS TELLING THE RIGHT PERSON HOW HE FEELS AND HE WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE! He says in NKJV " I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant. I was like a beast before You." Then he feels the comfort of God as he says in verse 23 the best words he could say, "Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel." The same tone is used in Romans 8:28- "For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities,nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

2 Corinthians 4:13b is my personal testimony. I know that I have the same faithful Spirit therefore "I had faith and so I spoke!" (Read Psalms 37:38; 55:23; 35:6; 92:6; for the wicked's end /and 32:8; 48:14; 84:2; 16:5; 119:155; and Philippians 3:8; Hebrews 10:22. for the righteous' future.)

Asaph says, "Whom have I in heaven, but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You." (I know where my help comes from!) He admits his flesh is weak and his heart fails him. "But God (that makes all the difference). Is the strength of my heart and of my portion forever,".

He contrasts the two, the Godly and ungodly in verses 27 and 28. Those far away from God will perish as deserters. "But (there it is again!). It is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all your works."

Would to God that we should come to the same conclusion as Asaph did at the right time and place and receive our answer from the Greatest!!!

Next time...

,pom