Daily devotion- Psalm 73 Part 2
Psalm 73 – continued
Psalm 73:15 – 22
Asaph the author of this Psalm has been struggling with his faith. His heart is pained – 21 “Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. 22 I was so foolish and ignorant— I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.”
Bu then Asaph makes a decision that will set his heart right with God and dispel these tensions of faith within him – he goes to the sanctuary and spends time with the Lord in worship! This is great advice for each of us when we are in storms and trials that are attempting to have us drift away from God.
In the sanctuary Asaph would be with other believers, he would hear the Word of God and the songs of praise, he would again be part of a worshipping community.
As we commune with God our eyes are opened to the truth and we see things with God’s perspective.
Verse 23 – 28 Remember how the Psalm started – “Truly God is good to Israel”
But Asaph within was not sure what the word “good” meant in his life.
Asaph now sees the great rift that exists between unbelievers and worshippers of God. He sees once again the righteous are uplifted by the Lord – but the wicked are cast down – verse 18.
The righteous are guided by God’s truth – verse 24 – but the ungodly are deluded by their own fantasies – verse 24.
The ungodly have everything they want except God and the godly have in God all that they want or need.
Even death cannot separate God’s people from His blessing, for we go to be with the Lord in glory and receive a new body.
When the worship service ended, Asaph now has his feet firmly grounded on the faith, he left the sanctuary and told everybody what he had learned.
He had drawn near to God, he had trusted God, and now he was ready to declare God’s works.
27 “Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you.
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.”
We live in trying times, God is refining His Church, being faithful in worship with the body of Christ has always been a key to maturing in our faith – the early Church was so sure of this that they gathered each day – Act 2:46 “They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity.
Act 2:47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”