Nevertheless, I am Continually With You

But you're following along with us in our reading plan that we're doing as a church through the Psalms as of Tuesday this week. We begin book 3 of the songs, which starts at Psalm 73 and that's going to be the song they were looking at this morning. So if you have your Bibles and you want to turn there, then we'll be there in just a moment. I've been want to just give you a little bit of background on this song. Allison the song that was was written by Asif who was a levite priest appointed by David to worship before the Ark of the Covenant when it was set up in Jerusalem, and he's actually attributed to writing 12 songs. And most of them are contained within book 3 of The Book of Psalms in this one in particular is a song that is marked by a personal reflection of his own struggles in his own stumbling in his walk with the Lord and I chose Psalm 73 this morning because I believe that It would be almost impossible to find a follower of Christ who has not stumbled or has not struggled or question the Lord in the same way that I serve does in Psalm 73. I think that this song is quite relatable to us. And therefore I hope it is quite helpful to us this morning one important note before we dig into it in regarding the the theme of the book 3 of the Psalms this collection from Psalm 73 to 89. It focuses on the sanctuary of God is the place where the people of God would come and be in his presence and worship him. It was a place we know from the Old Testament. That was a physical location for the Jews were they had to come to meet with God right? It was the temple in Jerusalem and before that. It was the 10th the David set up in Jerusalem, and before that it was the tent that was in the wilderness as they were journeying to the promised land. And know that do we as followers of Christ Java together on a Sunday morning, but we come together to worship God and to open his word. The Lord's presence goes with us, wherever we go, right? We are not like the Israelites are we have to come to the sanctuary to meet with God. His presence is with us because we have is Holy Spirit within us and so win in verse 17 Thomas talks about going into the sanctuary the sanctuary for us to me wherever we meet with God it is not a specific location. And so we need to make that parallel in our context when we get there. So let's read Psalm 73 together this morning.

Truly God is good to Israel to those who are pure in heart. But as for me my feet at almost stumbled my steps had nearly slipped. Browse envious of the arrogance when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Do they have no pangs until death their bodies are fat and Sleek. They are not in trouble as others. Are there not stricken like the rest of mankind. Therefore pride is their necklace violence covers them as a garment their eyes swell out through fatness their hearts overflowing with Follies, they scoff and speak with malice loftily. They threaten depression. They said their mouths against the heavens and their tongues struts through the Earth. There for his people turn back to them and find no fault in them. And they say how can God know is there knowledge in the most high? Behold, these are the wicked always at ease. They increase in riches all in vain have I kept my heart clean and wash my hands and innocence for all the day long. I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. If I had said I will speak vest. I would have betrayed the generation of your children. But when I thought how to understand this it seemed to me a wearisome task until I went into the sanctuary of God then I discerned their end. Truly you set them in Slippery places. You make them fall to ruin how they are destroyed in a moment. So if the way out early by terrors Like a dream when one wakes. Oh Lord when you Rouse yourself you despise them as Phantoms. When my soul is embittered when I was breaking hard, I was brutish and arrogant. I was like a beast toward you. Nevertheless I am continually with you. You hold my right hand you guide me with your counsel and afterward you will receive me to Glory. who my whom have I in heaven, but you and there is nothing on Earth that I desire beside you. My Flesh and my heart May Fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever forever hold those who are far from You Shall Perish but you put an end to the everyone who is unfaithful to you But for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Lord God my refuge that I might tell of all your works.

as we walk through this song together this morning the main point that I hoped to get across is this When we occupy ourselves with the lives of others will become discontent and distracted in our walk with the Lord, but when we occupy ourselves with God we will have peace. To say it another way the more you get your eyes on people and off of God, the more discontent you were going to feel the more you get your eyes on God and off of people the more piece that you were going to have in your life. And this was the problem there was facing the psalmist. The psalmist was facing a problem, which was causing his walk with the Lord to falter. The problem was driven by two main conditions. One of those conditions was an external condition and the other one was an internal condition. We're going to look at both of those in a moment. The first I want you to see what the song is wisely does in this song knowing that these conditions are are present in his heart. In causing him to falter in his walk with the Lord. The song is begins verse one by rooting himself in the truth of God. She recognizes an important reality and makes a critical decision. He recognizes the truth of what Jeremiah the prophet said that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick. Eliza's there are times when we should not trust our own Hearts get it every moment. We can trust God and we can trust his word as a lamp for your feet that shows us. What is right and what is true? The song is begins his song with the imperative truly and some of your versions that is probably rendered surely the Hebrew word. There's the word act which is an expression that is used to assertively introduce a declaration of Truth. Is it a tactic to Jesus uses all over his teachings. He often introduced an important teaching the People by starting with the phrase truly truly. I say to you in fattic Lee proclaiming what follows is true until the song This is using the the same kind of the same kind of tactic Hebrews his song In Truth by saying inverse one. Truly. God is good to Israel. He's good to those who are pure in heart in the pure in heart. Are those who walk before God and hear and heart are those who acknowledge the Lord didn't live according to his statutes in according to his commands. The problem that themselves face though. Was it this truth that God is good to his people. We nearly had knowledge for him. You wasn't able to grasp. It wasn't able to affirm it in and generally apply it so they became heart knowledge which dictated his feelings and his responses to the Practical realities of his life and what he was witnessing around him. Either not taking root in his heart or if it had it been uprooted by his current circumstances. And what are you seeing happening around in a means of struggling to grasp it as an anchor for the soul.

Because after he says truly God is good to his people in first one. He follows that up and first two with but as for me,

But as for me my feet had almost stumbled. My steps had nearly slipped.

The psalmist is admitting. You think I know God is good. I know God is good. But I'm having trouble seeing it. I'm having trouble grasping it in my heart and believing it in a significant way that tangibly governs my emotions and impact my perspective and my responses. And the result is being that I'm faltering my walk with God. I'm struggling to keep my feet planted with his truth. I feel like waves are coming up against me. Strong winds are blowing against me, and I'm about to split.

I wonder if anyone can relate to this this morning. Even ever had situations come against you that cause you to falter and God's truth is one thing to believe something based on God's word. It's another thing to be able to hold fast to believe when a situation in your life comes directly against will you believe And this is what the song This is facing. The psalmist is facing a crisis of Faith. He's wrestling out. How does the truth of God fit with what I'm experiencing?

Lenny Bruce three. He tells us why he's struggling to grasp this truth and have it govern him and how to govern his responses. I was envious of the Arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Here's the the heart of his problem. He shares two conditions that were causing him to falter in his walk with God and I think they are deeply relatable to us. First was an external condition. Mainly he was looking around him and he was seeing the prosperity of the wicked and it caused him to question the goodness of God's the psalmist is asking the age-old question here. He's he's wrestling with it in his heart. He's a few dressing with a question why God why do wicked people seem to prosper? Why do evil men and women seem to have things so easy? He's asking that question the people of God from generation to generation of wrestle with why do those who are evil to come against you people believe in you. I hate you seem to experience such an easy and prosperity in their life.

the Prophet Jeremiah wrestled with this question in Jeremiah 12:1 and 2 He's a righteous. Are you? Oh Lord, when I complain to you yet. I would plead my case before you why is the Way of the Wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive? You plant them and they take root they grow and produce fruit. You are near and their mouth in far from their heart.

Jobe struggled with this question and drove 21-7. He has to Lord. Why do the wicked live? Why do they reach old age and grow Mighty in power?

And this is what the Psalms to struggling with as well.

Inverse Warren V the psalmist explains what he means by prosperity. He points out that not only are the wicked well off financially with no concerns for what they'll eat or what they'll drink what he says. They also have no pangs unto death. A blank is a sudden sharp physical or emotional pain. What time does the Mind three most readily as win? When I read the word Pang is a picture of the experience of guilt. Right when we've done something we know is wrong. We experience the Pang of guilt suddenly come upon us. The psalmist said the wicked they don't have this big thing to be untouched and unbothered by everything even unto death.

What does it mean even unto death?

Is reflecting on a principle that I'm sure that each one of us is probably thought of it at one time or another he's reflecting on the fact that even when death comes knocking at the door of the wicked they seem unconcerned and we wish you would have thought that at the point of death is when they would have been most Afflicted when it would have been most concerned because he thought they must be concerned after having live lives that were apart from God's living lives for themselves putting lives for their own Pleasures with the prospect of death now coming upon them the prospect of facing the Lord and yet even in that.

They seem unbothered.

They're insulated. They're not worried about what's to come.

On top of this. He says their bodies are fat literally their stomachs are fat is what that means. They have no once they have no trouble they seem to never be struck with disease or with the Lord's rebuke for their haughty Lifestyles. It is a life free of worry. NNU vs. 6090 goes on to explain what their lives lead to they need to them becoming prideful and violence have foolish Hearts 2 come puffed up their markers. They speak malicious threats. They speak against God believing that they rule the Earth as their tongue in the Samus words struts through the Earth.

This is the external condition that the psalmist was experiencing. This is the external condition that he was struggling with in the result of the songs experiencing. This external condition need prosperity of the wicked was the second condition which grew internally in his heart as a result of it and he admitted and verse 3, he found himself struggling with the sin of envy. What is the easy life that the wicked lives and thought to myself I would like that. I would like an easy life. I would like things to go easy for me. I would like to be prosperous and not have any worries in the world not feel the sting of the rebuke of God when I falter. And I wonder if anyone can relate to his thoughts once in awhile.

I guarantee the challenge of seeing those who deny God or hate God growing success grow in prosperity has at the very least cuz each one of us to question God's ways. For some maybe it's cause you to falter like a psalmist or something. Maybe it's cause you to question the goodness of God. This issue is not a minor bump in the Road of Faith for some he can be a major bump in a joyful walk with Christ. I want to share you will share with you an email a woman wrote about this issue. She said this.

423 or more years. I genuinely thought I was a Christian. I thought I wanted God. I thought I believed in God, and I thought I needed God. after the last four years, I do not believe is really devastating loss to me as I built my whole life and world around what I genuinely thought I believed. What causes her not to believe? My trouble was that I saw how sinful people seem to be living perfectly happy lives without God something. I mistakenly believed for a long time that no one was able to do. to be honest, they seem to live pretty moral lives to I came to the realization that some people are genuinely not looking for God. It took me awhile to realize I was that person. nobody who generally thought they at least wanted God wants to admit they really in very actually do not so I've done everything possible to cover it up hope you have the hurt of it will go away but it doesn't really I see where all the looking and reading and everything that happened led me it led me to this place I have to go and live my new life leave my husband children extended family and Community leave everything behind just like a new believer in Christ leave behind their old life to follow the new life they have in him

as a devastating email an email speaks to the consequence of this issue for followers of Christ. This woman has denied her faith because of the prosperity of the wicked. She experienced how sinful people lived and they were happy and makes good seemingly more lives apart from God with no desire for him. They were quite content and it won't she was struggling in her face. She was no don't play by some of those questions. People are plagued with this. God Nazi my circumstance to God not see my suffering. Does he not see my struggles? Does he not see how easy those who profaned is named their life is and she ended up asking is it even worth it? Is it even worth it to follow Jesus when those who don't so often seem to be better off in the conclusion that. Person came to Kaiser to walk away from Jesus

This is a devastating side effects. I'm the type of prosperity that the psalmist is talking about and he actually warms the game this side effect in verse 10 and 11.

Is it there for his people turn back to them and find no fault in them? And they say how can God know? Is there knowledge in the most high?

The song it says right here. This is God's people turn to the wicked and they find no fault in them as what they desire to walk in their ways thinking. How can God know is there knowledge in the most high? Literally, he's saying here the wiccan rede daughter having a successful life to God must not know how their living or surely you would rebuke them. And so if that's the case there might not be any knowledge in the most high God doesn't actually know what's going on down here. She doesn't actually know how people are living it. So I'm going to live the same way cuz it's working out well for them and I'm struggling over here in my face.

The devastating side effects of Samus speaks of is an important principle for followers of Christ to understand so we don't get caught up in it for the prosperity of the wicked does not only pervert the wicked but it influences and perverts those who see it. The litmus test for this being true is Hollywood. Look in the power Hollywood has in our culture not only influencing celebrity culture and the desire for people to be like those in Hollywood. But also and increasingly the rule of you were being exported from Hollywood into culture, which culture is drinking deep cuz they're swept up in the apparent success of those in whom this these ideas are coming from When we occupy ourselves with the lives of others, we will become discontent and distracted and it will cause our feet to slip in our walk with the Lord defaulter. Just like the psalmist hit his envying of the wicked cuz this contentment in his heart. And it distracted him from his walk with the Lord.

And he speaks of his personal response in verse 13 to 16.

These words that he says all in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. Charlie day long I've been stricken and rebuked every morning. I said I will speak thus I would have betrayed the generation of your children. But when I thought how to understand this it seemed to me a wearisome task.

Cancer was growing in his heart a cancer was growing in his heart. That would have overtaken him. It would have Shipwrecked is Faith and was growing into ways first. He expresses doubt in the value of walking upright lie before the Lord. I've washed my hands in innocence. I'll try to remain clean before the Lord, but it is all in vain. And second. He doubts he can understand. I'm trying to walk uprightly before you I'm trying to do right by you and yet I'm constantly suffering. I'm here Butte. I'm walking in innocence. I'm struggling and while the wicked are walking and guilt are prospering.

He was going down a dangerous path in his heart. A pass that we can all start to go down. You doing something that kept him from falling away. There is something that kept his feet from slipping though. He was on a precipice.

And inverse 15 he goes so far as to say if I had said I will speak this I would have betrayed the generation of your children. He says to God, I was feeling all of these things I'm struggling with them but never spoke them out weirdly. Realizing that if he had it would lead him to betray the generation of God's children. Meaning you were walked away from God.

We get our eyes off of God and onto others. There will be a point where we have become so distracted and so discontent it will be very difficult to return to the Lord and the joy of satisfaction in him and this would have happened to the psalmist save one thing and this can happen to us save one thing. What was that thing that kept usamos feet from slipping? What kept Him from falling away.

It was God. It was God. It was the very thing that he was questioning. It was keeping his feet from slipping through the goodness of God that held him fast. You would have slipped. Otherwise. Who's there the whole time for his goodness with sustaining him back at verse 1 and 2 and I'm going to paraphrase I said the truly God is good to his people to the pure in heart, but I had almost stumbled. I had nearly split because I was envious when I looked at the Wicked the song that says Sing I stumbled I faltered Eisen and yet I didn't slip why because God is good. It wasn't the psalmist goodness. They kept him from ultimately slipping. He's thin and he would have fallen yet God sustain him in his goodness. The problem was the song is couldn't see it if you didn't recognize God's goodness to stand him in the midst of it. You did got in his eyes off of God. He was so focused on people and all he could see was his lack in the midst of other people's prosperity and he could not see the goodness of God in the midst of it.

He had a short-sighted Outlook. And one of the biggest challenges of a follower of Christ. Is it our Outlook is stunted.

We need the Lord to give us an eternal perspective, which is exactly what the psalmist needed. If you were struggling with this or you have struggled with this. I want to give you just one in sight this morning. I want to give you just one thing better that I truly if we can get this in our hearts and we can root this in the depths of our souls. We will not slip.

And I don't want to end with how the psalmist adjusted his perspective and how we can do the same.

The one thing that I hope can be a perspective shift for us.

often you hear life is hard. But God is good. Life is difficult. But God is good. Blake is challenging, but God is still good.

And I hope that we can shift that to I believe is a much more biblical perspective instead of saying life is hard. But God is good life is difficult. But God is still good. We say life is hard because God is good. That's a Biblical perspective life is hard because God is good. God is not good in spite of the difficulties of life. God is good precisely because of the difficulties in life wife because many of the troubles that make life hard are ordained by God Church by his good designs for your good ends. Life is good. Because life is hard because God is good things that he needs to grow in his people that we may obtain glory and those things are hard. What are hard because God is good and he's growing things in us that need to be grown.

Allen Gardner a missionary experience incredibly difficult physical things and hardships throw to service to Jesus. Despite his troubles. He wrote while God gives me strength failure will not. Me. At the age of 57 he died of a disease and starvation while serving on Picton Island in South America. When he died, his body was found in his diary was right near his body. The diary before the record of hunger aboard the record of thirst aboard the record of wounds and loneliness. In the very last entry in his diary showed the struggle of his shaking hand as he tried to write legibly. I am overwhelmed with a sense of the goodness of God.

Corrie Ten Boom who helped hide Jews from the Nazis in World War II She testifies often I heard people say how good is God. We prayed that it would not rain for a church picnic and look the weather is lovely. Yes, God is good when he sends good weather, but God was also good when he allowed my sister Betsy to starve before my eyes in a German concentration camp.

I remember one occasion when I was very discouraged there everything around us was dark and there was darkness in my heart. I remember telling Betsy that I thought God had forgotten us know Cory said Betsy. He has not forgotten us. Remember his word for the heavens are high above the Earth. So great is his steadfast love toward those who fear Him

How did these people have this kind of perspective?

How old is Thomas finally get it? What does he do? What is the Catalyst for a perspective change in his life to see the goodness of God has always been there? What do we do?

Look at verse 16 and 17.

when I thought how to understand this it seemed to me a wearisome task until until I went to the sanctuary of God. Then I discerned their end.

The ways of God and the goodness of God was impossible to discern until the psalmist makes the choice to go to the sanctuary of God and worship him and it completely changes the perspective that he has as he stares into the face of God. He's overwhelmed by his greatness Feud reminded of what he knew to be true and verse one but I completely forgot in the garage is good. And God's is just he gets his eyes off the wicked because his eyes off his circumstances and all that is happening in his life and he focuses on God and he makes his preoccupation. The Lord's hand when he does this he sees the truth clearly surely God is good to his people.

And he sees the truth clearly first about the wicked. My bones were causing him to stumble. He sees me recording and verse 18 to 20. Truly. You set them in Slippery places. You make them fall to ruin how they are destroyed in a moment, but I Don't Lie by terror is like a dream when one awake so Lord when you Rouse yourself you despise them is Phantom's he gets the right perspective. He sees the Lord has set them on slippery places. They're not succeeding in the way that I think they're succeeding. Pierre did not allow his foot to slip but he sets the wicked in Slippery places and they are destined to fall. They are like a dream that goes away when you wake up a phantom here and now but gone very quickly.

Oh how foolish to Envy such a thing. How foolish?

And then he realizes the truth about God.

I love what he says verse 23. nevertheless I am continually with you. You hold my right hand. how Incredibles if God gave nothing else to his people. The fact that we can sit there and say I am continually with you. I'm walking with you as you hold my right hand.

That is a goodness of God.

You guide me with your counsel. I have to word you receive me in glory. Play when I get my eyes to the right or to the left and seeing these people and entering them God you're always with me you're walking with me. You were going to receive me and Glory. I don't have anyone but you. There's nothing on Earth that I desire besides you my flesh and my heart May Fail, but God is my strength my heart and my portion forever the psalmist experiences into a God my heartfelt. I recognize that I was NBA silly things were thank you you sustain Me You Are My Strength forever my portion forever. I know see your goodness and that I was blind before. Play get it I get it.

Super hold those who are far from You Shall Perish you put an end to everyone who's unfaithful to you. Do for me. It is good to be near God. I have made Lord my refuge. That I may tell of all your works.

Oh that we can have perspective.

Of the psalmist that we can have the perspective of Alan Gardner that we can have the perspective of Corrie Ten Boom and Betsie. Ten Boom. That we can know God is good.

In God's goodness goes with me everywhere. I go all day everyday in the midst of every circumstance even when I can't see it. Let us be rooted in that incredible truth. Let's pray to that and Heavenly Father.

Would you give us eyes to see?

Would you give us a mind to know clearly?

May we not be shaken? by the prosperity of the wicked May we not be shaken when our own circumstances are less than ideal. And we look at those around us who don't know you and we want her. Why do they have it so easy?

remind us Lord that

It lasts but for a moment.

the last before a breath

but as for those who fear the lord will be with you in eternity.

God I pray that for every single person in this room. That you could shift our perspectives. There we could be people that walk around and see life is hard because God is good. Not life is hard. But in spite of it, you're good don't know life is hard because you're good. We know that you are dating certain things you ordained hardships and trials for your people cuz you have to grow something in us for attorney. You have to grow something in us for Glory. Maybe. We could be a people that understands it absolutely nothing is meaningless.

That you were working all things to a good end for us.

route Us in that truth Lord

pray in Jesus name amen