Good morning. As I closed last week’s sermon message, which considered that the intention of Christ for His church is to bring glory to God, I closed with a brief look at Psalm 73. As we prepare for worship this morning, I would ask that we give the remarkable truth revealed in that Psalm a little more thought.
The Psalmist is Asaph. Asaph was by profession what we would call a worship leader, serving in that capacity under King David throughout his reign. By all accounts, Asaph was a godly man. Although he was godly, that doesn’t mean that he was without spiritual challenges. In Psalm 73 he shared with us the difficulty of facing one of those significant challenges.
He begins the Psalm with lament over the way many of the unrighteous people of the world seem to prosper. He spends several verses reflecting on this reality, wondering why such evil people seem to be enjoying material blessings.
Asaph was so perplexed by this that he was greatly tempted to give in, to follow after their unrighteous example so that he too might enjoy the worldly pleasures. He points this out in Psalm 73:2-3:
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.
He “almost” slipped. How often have we “almost” slipped? How many righteous small business owners have been tempted when they realized that they were competing with rival business owners who were willing to break the rules and engage in devious practices? How many righteous students have been tempted when they recognized that their teacher was grading on a curve, and that several of their fellow students were cheating?
It is easy to rationalize and justify evil thoughts and actions when we compare ourselves to the people around us who are engaging in evil deeds and seem to be profiting from those actions. Asaph “almost” gave in, and he “almost” slipped.
But then, in the nick of time, Asaph went to the temple and engaged in worship. More accurately, Asaph woke up to the spiritual reality of what was important, as he worshipped God and led the congregation in worship which brought glory to God Almighty. His eyes were opened, and we read in Psalm 73:16-17: When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply until I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.
Surrounded by the joy of God’s glory, Asaph realized what was truly of value. He understood that being a part of that glory now, and that his eternity would be spent surrounded by that awesome glory, was of far greater value than any momentary pleasure. Let them laugh today, Asaph understood their destiny.
Worship well with the glory of the Lord today. Embrace and enjoy His glory, now and forever!
Vern