Yes! There is Good News! 12.9.17

“Yet I am always with you…” says Asaph in Psalm 73:23. I really appreciate the way this is stated. Asaph does not say that God is always with him; but that he is always with God and that makes all the difference. The one thing we must always keep in mind is that it is not about us, it is always about God! What do I mean by this? In the scheme of things universal, we humans are of little import when compared to the greatness, the splendor, the majesty and the awesomeness of the Almighty God we serve. Our God is supreme, He is sovereign, He has created and rules over a universe that is beyond man’s comprehension. And yet He allows us to “always be with Him.”

Asaph opens up his heart to us in a very humble way and his statement here continues the humility as he bows before God through the written word of a poem. Both James and Peter, in their respective letters, tell us that “God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud.” Asaph is in need of God’s grace and he knows it. He has allowed his heart to wander into dangerous territory, “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold, for I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (73:2-3). The Psalmist reveals his thoughts and struggles in the first half of the Psalm and then confesses that he did not understand these things “till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.” (Verse 17) What a beautiful turning point! True prayer takes us into the very throne room of God.

“Yet I am always with you…” Are you always with God? Is He your first thought in times of trouble and in times of sorrow? Is He your first thought in times of blessing and in time of joy? We humans walk through this life as though we were in charge. Have you ever had the thought “I’ll call upon God when I need Him,” rather than humbly telling your Heavenly Father that you are always with Him? This short statement by Asaph tells us that he knew God was a God of mercy and compassion.

The next statement in this Psalm emphasizes that Asaph really knew how beautiful a relationship with God could be: “you hold me by my right hand.” What is it like for an infant, just learning to walk, to know that Mom or Dad has its hand firmly in theirs? Sometimes it is just enough to know that someone will hold our hand. And when we would compare ourselves to the God we serve, we must admit that we are indeed, just learning to walk. Praise be to God that He is abounding in loving kindness.

And yes, there still is a lot more to come concerning this 73rd Psalm. Stay tuned!