SPIRITUAL
DIARY FOR 4/12/2012 9:00:46 AM
My Worship Time Focus: “God
is Good”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm
73:1
Message
of the verses: In today’s SD we
begin looking at the 73rd Psalm, which is the first psalm in the
third book of Psalms. The book of Psalms
is divided into four books and we have completed the first two and have two
more to go. We will begin by looking at
several introductions to the 73rd Psalm.
“TITLE: A Psalm of Asaph.” This is the second Psalm ascribed to Asaph,
and the first of eleven consecutive Psalms bearing the name of this eminent
singer. Some writers are not sure that Asaph wrote them, but incline to the
belief that David was the author, and Asaph the person to whom they were
dedicated, that he might sing them when in his turn he became the chief
musician. But though our own heart turns in the same direction, facts must be
heard; and we find in #2Ch 29:30, that Hezekiah commanded the Levites to sing "the words of David and of Asaph the
seer;" and, moreover, in #Ne 12:46, David and Asaph are mentioned
together, as distinct from "the
chief of the singers," and as it would seem, as joint authors of
psalmody. We may, therefore, admit Asaph to be the author of some, if not all,
of the twelve Psalms ascribed to him. Often a great star which seems to be but
one to the eyes of ordinary observers, turns out upon closer inspection to be
of a binary character; so here the Psalms of David are those of Asaph too. The great
sun of David has a satellite in the moon of Asaph. By reading our notes on
Psalm Fifty, in Volume 2, the reader will glean a little more concerning this
man of God.
SUBJECT: Curiously enough this Seventy-third Psalm
corresponds in subject with the Thirty-seventh: it will help the memory of the
young to notice the reversed figures. The theme is that ancient stumbling block
of good men, which Job’s friends could not get over; viz.—the present
prosperity of wicked men and the sorrows of the godly. Heathen philosophers
have puzzled themselves about this, while to believers it has too often been a
temptation.
DIVISIONS: In #Ps 73:1 the psalmist declares his confidence
in God, and, as it were, plants his foot on a rock while he recounts his inward conflict. From
#Ps 73:2-14 he states his
temptation; then, from #Ps 73:15-17 he is embarrassed as how to act, but ultimately finds
deliverance from his dilemma. He describes with awe the fate of the
ungodly in #Ps 73:18-20, condemns
his own folly and adores
the grace of God, #Ps 73:21-24, and concludes by renewing his allegiance
to his God, whom he takes
afresh to be his portion and delight.”
(Charles H. Spurgeon)
“Asaph, Heman, and Ethan (Jeduthun)
were Levites, who served as musicians and worship leaders at the sanctuary
during David’s reign (1Chron. 15:16-19; 16:4-7, 37-42; 2Chron. 5:12-14; 29:13;
35:15). Apparently the established
‘guilds’ for their sons and other musicians so they might carry on the worship
tradition. Twelve psalms are attributed
to Asaph (5, 73-83). This one deals with the age-old
problem of why the righteous suffer while the ungodly seem to prosper
(37; 49; Job 21; Jer. 12; Hab. 1:13ff).
Asaph could not lead the people in divine worship if he had questions
about the ways of the Lord, but he found in that worship the answer to his
problems. Note five stages in his
experience.” (Warren Wiersbe “Be Worshipful’)
The Believer: Standing on What He Knows (v.1): “1 A
Psalm of Asaph: Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart!”
Charles H. Spurgeon says this about
the goodness of God: “He is only good, nothing else
but good to his own covenanted ones. He cannot act unjustly or unkindly to them;
his goodness to them is beyond dispute, and without mixture.”
“The French mystic Madame Guyon
wrote, ‘In the commencement of spiritual life, our hardest task is to bear with
our neighbor; in its progress, with ourselves; and in the end with God.’” (Quotation from Be Worshipful)
Dr. Wiersbe says that Asaph had
some problems and because he was a believer he had problems with God and I
suppose that all believers from time to time have problems with God especially
when something bad happens to them and they turn around as see a person who is
not a believer having all kinds of fun and life is good for them. Asaph says that God is good to those who have
a pure heart and Jesus said “"Blessed
are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’” Asaph is not speaking about a person who was
sinless but a person who was totally committed to God. When a person is born from above, born into
the family of God by this new birth they are given a new heart, a heart that
always wants to please the Lord. However
all believers still have the old nature, a nature that does not want to do
right and opposes the Lord. I am saying
this to say that I believe that both Asaph and the Lord Jesus are speaking of
true believers. In Psalm 73 verse 27
Asaph writes the following about those who are not true believers: “ For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all
those who are unfaithful to You.
Dr. Wiersbe writes the
following: “When pondering the mysteries
of life, hold on to what you know for sure, and never doubt in the darkness what God has taught you
in the light.” Asaph knew that
God was good to those who were His own, and so did Job, but there are times
when believers go through some tough times, while we see those who are not
believers prospering. One thing to
remember is that as believers we are in “school” and how we do in this school of life will
determine our rewards we receive when we get to heaven and also will determine
what we will be doing in our next life.
We will be serving the Lord during the Millennial kingdom is some
capacity and then when the world is destroyed at the end of that 1000 years we
will be serving the Lord in the new heavens and earth where the new Jerusalem
will be. I have heard it said that our
life down here is just a lap around the track in preparation to the real race
and we will be with our Lord throughout eternity.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: Trust that the Lord will see me through all
the trials and tribulations that I face on planet earth and prepare me to serve
Him here and in the future when I will be with my Lord.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
Continue to learn contentment in my life on this earth, and trust the
Lord to give me a desire to bring glory to Him.
4/12/2012
10:13:16 AM
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