The Nearness of GOD Keeps Me from Slipping

15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,” Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of Your children. 16 When I pondered to understand this, It was troublesome in my sight 17 Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end. 18 Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. 19 How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! 20 Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form. 21 When my heart was embittered And I was pierced within, 22 Then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. 24 With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27 For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. 28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.

Worship Brings Me Near GOD

Asaph realizes there’s some faultiness to his envy of the worldly and wicked prosperity on earth. Furthermore, being a chief musician, who stands before God’s people leading in praise, these types of thoughts could infect everyone. So he keeps himself from venting these thoughts. But he also still struggled to himself how this contrast he saw between the wicked and righteous could exist. So he thought about it over and over, trying to figure it out, and saw it was too much work to understand by himself. It wasn’t until he returned to the presence of GOD to worship him.

Application: We must realize that airing out envious thoughts about wicked worldly people is a danger to God’s children. If we realize we’re at this point, it might be best to keep those thoughts to ourselves. But it’s also important to acknowledge that our thoughts are just that, our thoughts!!! And they are different from God’s thoughts. What brings us closer to God’s thoughts and ways, is true and sincere worship of GOD.

God’s Nearness Corrects My Perspective

Once he returned to worship and revere the sovereignty and justice of GOD, it was only then that his perspective was corrected. That is, that the apparent success and prosperity he thought he saw in worldly people, was actually a grave danger for them. What he thought he saw was momentary, like waking up from a dream. Because when the right time comes, GOD is going to show how little he regards prideful human success.

Application: When we are near GOD in worship, we should be gaining an understanding of his perspective on all that we wonder about. We should realize that GOD doesn’t regard all that we see as humans do. Like Jesus said in Luke 16, the Pharisees who loved money, they were justified in their own eyes, but what’s prized to humans stinks to GOD. And in due time, GOD is going throw them out, and it would’ve been like a dream.

God’s Nearness Provokes My Confession

Understanding now God’s perspective from sincere worship toward him, Asaph reflects on his former perspective, and is again transparent, but this time directly toward GOD. He confesses that in his envy, he was very resentful/bitter and felt like his heart was being stabbed. As a result, he realizes that he behaved toward GOD without knowledge, as a wild beast that doesn’t know GOD.

Application: When we gain a better perspective of God’s just and righteous ways, it should cause us to pour out our hearts foolishness to GOD. See, we should realize GOD already knows our hearts, and we need to tell him the pain and foolishness we felt.

God’s Nearness Assures His Provision and Promise

But then Asaph moves from confession to assurance. Meaning he didn’t stay down on himself forever about the foolishness of his envy. Rather he felt assured that he was still with GOD, and GOD still does and will provide for him by catching him in such dangers, leading him with wisdom, and that he will indeed experience the riches of God’s glory one day.

Application: Admitting to GOD our foolish envy is vital, but knowing GOD if faithful by our sides is crucial for us moving forward.

God’s Nearness Shifts My Desires

Then Asaph displays a total shift in his desires. Whereas he did focus on them, they, and their, verse 23-26 is all about YOU, that being GOD!!! He boldly says that GOD himself is his greatest pleasure and joy. Not all that GOD will give him, but having GOD as his GOD!! His entire life on earth might cease to be, but GOD is his unmovable rock and reward.

Application: Arriving here is deep!! Can we honestly say that GOD is my whole hearts desire?!? If we’re going to let go of envying this world and it’s wickedness, it is when our hearts can truly say that there’s nothing seen or unseen that I want or that brings me greater pleasure than GOD himself!!

God’s Nearness Inspires My Praise

How can Asaph proclaim this? Because understanding God’s perspective has taught him the fate for people who are distant from GOD and have no loyalty to him. That is they are going to perish, and all that they boast about will perish with them. But when it comes to him, God’s nearness is his welfare, success, prosperity, and joy!! And that leads him to praise.