Psalms 73:25-26

Psalm 73, beginning with verse 23. I’m going to read through verse 26. Our focus tonight is on verses 25 and 26. Nevertheless, I am continually with thee. Thou is holding me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth. But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. May God bless us from His sacred word this evening. There was an American that went to Paris, and he happened to pick up a necklace there, in a curiosity shop, which he paid 20 francs for. On reaching New York, he was obligated to pay much more than its value when he got through customs. Annoyed that the trifling he bought would cost so much when he went through customs, he took it to a jewelers, intending to dispose of it for whatever it would bring. The man examined it very carefully with a magnified lens, looked up at him and said, I’ll offer you $25,000 for his necklace. The owner of the necklace thought, I better think about this a bit. He said, well, I’ll have to think it over. He happened to be going on to Chicago. When he got to Chicago, he went to a little bit. another jewelry store there asked the jeweler to appraise it and give his opinion on it. This jewelry offered him $35,000 for the necklace. Finally, he said, what’s making this thing so valuable? He said, well look through this microscopic lens and you’ll see. When he looked through the lens, the owner read these words on the amber there. From Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine. It wasn’t the necklace itself that was so valuable. It was the giver of the gift. A lesson that we all need to learn when we think about the things that we have. In Psalm 73, Asaph comes to realize the value of knowing the Lord and the eternal life that he gives. How much greater that is than anything else? else in this world. It supersedes all earthly benefits. So we should always keep that in mind. Asap, you recall, has been living a godly life, but he’s been suffering. He looks around him, he sees those who are living wickedly, but they are prospering in all kinds of ways. This very much distresses him. He finds fault with God. He tells us. He tells us that he tells us that he us he’s ready to give up the Christian faith. He’s confused and bewildered until he goes to the house of God where he has given insight and understanding about spiritual things and about this life. And he comes to a right understanding about God that he’s sovereign and certainly just. But the wicked, they’re actually doomed and God has set their feet on slippery places, and about himself how foolish and ignorant. he was to think the way he was thinking. And he condemns himself for thinking so foolishness and repents and rejoices in the grace of God and the mercy that he has received from God. And he realizes the fact that God has shown him mercy in grace is the wonderful thing about that is that he will continue to show him mercy in grace. He will never withhold it from him. so that he has a hope for the future, which he tells us his glory, that he would guide me by his counsel in this life, and then he’ll take me to glory. Now we see Asaph finding satisfaction in verses 25 and 26 in God alone. A very important principle for all of us. Have you come to real life? that no one else can help you. But God, as we see in verse 25 here, Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire besides the. What does he mean here? What is his point? At the revolt of his experience, he has found that no one else can really help him. But God. Who is there that can help me in heaven or earth but you? Oh God. Is not God the only Savior? Is God the only redeemer? The only mediator, the only intercessor and comforter and advocate? When things have gone wrong, when it seemed like he was at the end of his rope, he didn’t know where to go. He didn’t know where to go. turn for comfort. It was God who directed him to the house of the Lord. It was God who opened his understanding and changed his thinking about the whole matter. And he found what the psalmist tells us in Psalm 146, verse 3 and 5. Put not your trust in princes, the earthly leaders, the government, if you would, nor in the son of man, in others, in whom there is no help. happy is he that have the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord is God. If you turn with me to book of 2 Timothy chapter 4, we see an example of this in the life of the apostle Paul. 2 Timothy chapter 4 verses 16 and 17. Paul writes here, that my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me. I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge, notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, that by him or by me, the preaching might be fully known and that all the Gentiles may hear, and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. Paul, the apostle, has been arrested for prayer. preaching the gospel. His own countrymen stirred up trouble for him, the Jews. Eventually, he appeals to Caesar, the Caesar’s judgment seat, and he sent all the way to Rome to face Nero Caesar, and to testify concerning all the charges that were leveled against him, that he was a troublemaker, that he was basically inciting rebellion against the Roman government and everything else. Now he says here, at my first answer, no man stood with me. The way he states this about, I hope the Lord will not lay it to their charge, is that he’s talking about his Christian brother. He’s talking about his fellow believers here, maybe even his co-workers. Nobody stood with him. They all left him. They all deserted him. Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me. The Lord was his help in his hour of trial. And strengthened me, and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. I take lying here to be probably Caesar. It could actually be Satan who is behind Caesar. So either way, it ends up through Caesar. And so no matter how we understand this, we see that the Lord enabled him, got him through it. In fact, as we read in Philippians, at first, you know, his, it seems like at first he is released. He talks about, I expect to be released. And he’ll go back again, though, and at that time he tells Timothy, I’m going to be sacrificed. And so we know that, we know that Timothy talks about it. And so here he’s not going to be released, it seems. First time he was, but here must be later. And he’s going to be sacrificed. But the Lord stood with him on this occasion. So Paul could see the fear. The fear caused even those who were devoted him to leave him. And yet God was there. God was there. God stood with him and gave him his strength that he needed to testify to the glory of the gospel. You remember when Jacob fled from Esau and went off to live with his brother Laban in the book of Genesis, his uncle Laban, he was tricked first about his wife. Remember he got Leah instead of Rachel, the one he really wanted. Then he was cheated out of his wages by Laban, who changed his wages 10 times, and he saw that even his own flesh and blood, his own relative here, his uncle, would cheat him, and mistreat him like this. And yet he could see that despite what Laban did to him, God stood with him, and God blessed him, because he tells us, except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me. Surely thou, speaking to Levin, had sent me away empty. I wouldn’t have anything. God intervened, and God took care of me. Asaph found out the hard way that all this world has to offer ends up really being a broken system. You go to find water, and it doesn’t provide the water, and it doesn’t that you need. God alone provides help and comfort. Have you come to realize that same thing? That the God, the one who’s directing your life, he alone can change things around. He can spare you in the midst of your hour of grief. It’s not the doctor. It’s not the government. It’s not the neighbor, the friend, the pastor or minister per se, but God alone in whom you are to put your trust ultimately. So have you come to realize no one else can help you, but God? Have you come to desire God himself and not merely his gifts? The whole essence of Asaph’s problem here, somehow or other, he had put what God could give him before God himself. What really underlay his problem concerning the ungodly was this point, that they were having a good time. He was having a bad time, and he thought that isn’t fair. He’s been plagued all day long. Why was it that he seemed to have cleansed his heart in vain? Why was he losing out? Here was a man who was privileged to know God, was privileged to enjoy the salvation that comes in knowing God. For the scripture tells us in John 173, and this is life eternal that they might know thee, the only true God in Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Why is it that one who knows God is complaining because he’s not prospering in earthly things like the wicked name? you see what he’s finally reaching. The trouble was, he’s thinking, what can God give me materially? That’s what’s important. No, that’s not what’s important. What’s important is that you know God, that you can fellowship with God. And so he, because of his misconstruing things, let him to doubt God’s goodness. God’s love to his people. But now he’s, come to the place, he realizes that was wrong thinking. I wasn’t thinking right here. And so he is thankful that he has come to this point. The ultimate test of the Christian is that you and I can say something like this. That whatever we gain or lose in this life is not really essential as long as we know God. Because he is the most important one to know. these other things are passing. They’re not eternal things. You might desire wealth, power, and health, and health, a trouble-free life. Maybe you’d like to have houses and lands and families and possessions and so forth. Fine. You can’t put any of these things before God in a relationship with God. Otherwise, you’d be a very poor Christian and your priorities would be completely misconstrued. Don’t insult God by focusing only what you can get from him as though that’s the most important thing and that a relationship with him is only secondary. There was a man that bought a new hunting dog. He thought, wow, you know, try it out, see how good this dog is. So he took him out to track a bear. No sooner had they got into the woods, and off he went on the bear trap. And the man went after him. Suddenly the dog stopped and sniffed the ground and headed in a new direction. He caught the scent of a deer that had crossed the path of the bear, and so off he went chasing down the deer. Later, he halted again because he smelled a rabbit that had passed the cross of the path of the deer. So off he went, toward the rabbit path. And on and on it went, and the breathless hunter finally caught up with his deer, only with his dog, only to find him barking triumphantly down the hole of a mouse. Now, sometimes you can be like that. As a Christian, you start out with high aspirations, this desire to have fellowship with God, and we end up with thinking, why don’t I want to have all these things in life that I need, or I think I need, or I want, that would make me happy? They won’t make you happy. The relationship with God is what can only provide joy and happiness in your life. So you start out, you know, with high aspirations and ended up at the mouse hole. Something low and basically not of much value at all. You know, you look at the story of Jonah, get to the last chapter. He’s so happy with that gourd that he has because he’s sitting outside the city and he’s waiting for God to send the fire and brimstone down upon it, and he’s hoping that God’s going to send it, but he leery because he thinks God’s going to show mercy. And so he’s sitting out there, and the sun’s beating down, and this gourd comes up overnight, covers his head. The sun doesn’t, blistering sun doesn’t beat down on his head, he says, boy, this is great. But then in the morning, God sends a worm. It eats up the gourd, and it dies. And now he’s all upset with God because he lost his gourd. We can be just like that. We’re worried about the gourd that we are in our relationship with God. And that’s a sad fact. The psalmist talks about, and we sang it, you know, recently here, about panting after God. That thirsting for God, Psalm 42, that we should have. that captures the spirit that we should have with regard to our relationship with God. Where can I find the Lord? How can I have a closer fellowship with God? That’s our priority. Have you come to desire God himself and not merely his gifts? My third point tonight. Have you come to find complete satisfaction in God alone? Whom have I in heaven but thee? Well, ask yourself this question. When you get to heaven, what are you looking for? What are you desiring most? But you, is your primary purpose in getting to heaven is to see the angels? Is your primary purpose to see the seraphim and the cherubim? Is your primary purpose to see loved ones who already died before you did? Is that what it’s all about? you know, Matthew Henry once said, we are never told in the scriptures that we should look forward to death, but we are told very frequently that we should look forward to heaven, which comes after death. We’re only looking forward to death, and I’m afraid that we are trying to escape problems, which is really pagan thinking. I just, you know, die and get out of the situation of me in, was the Christian, if he looks forward to death at all, it’s because there’s something beyond death. There’s something wonderful beyond death. You as a Christian are to have a positive attitude toward heaven. Is it just the rest and peace in heaven that’s going to delight you? Is it just because you’re going to be free from trouble and bodily affliction? Is it just because there’s joy in heaven? All these things are found in heaven, and certainly, there’s nothing wrong with desiring these things. What’s the most important? I’m going to see God. You’re going to see God. You’re going to see Christ. Blessed of the pure and heart, for they shall have the joy of heaven. For they shall be able to see the holy angels and the seraphim and loved ones? No. For they shall see God. As Matthew tells us. Remember, Psalm 73 in verse 1. God’s good to Israel. Surely he is to those who have a clean heart. Right? And so those with a clean heart are the very ones who have the fellowship with God and desire to see God and to be with Christ. We read that passage in Philippians tonight. I read it for the purpose of what Paul said about whether he’s going to live or die. and you recall that he says here he desires to die and to be with Christ. There’s no need to add anything else to that. You ever wonder sometimes why Scripture gives us such a skimpy picture of heaven? We don’t really get what about heaven in Scripture, but maybe just being with the Savior is so glorious. we don’t really need to have all the rest. That it pales in significance to being with Christ. Whom have I in heaven but thee? You’re the one I’m looking forward to. Do you have that kind of desire? Do you long to be with Christ? There is none or even nothing upon earth that I desire before thee. Now, before he desired the prosperity that the wicked had, he was envious. Led to his trouble. He wanted to be like them. He wanted all the things that they had. Now, he says, I find satisfaction in God alone. My portion forever. God is my inheritance. Portion I will have forever. There’s nothing better than that, you see. To be a true disciple of Christ means that is that Christ is the center of your life. Christ is the center of your life. it’s the Lord of your life. He comes before everything and everyone. Does he come first in your life even before your loved ones? Even before your own interest and desires. Even before work and business and hobby and so forth, family. Paul says here, to me, to live is what? In Philippians? It’s Christ. And to die is gay. So as he walks through this life with Christ himself, fellowshiping with Christ, that’s what true living is. Christ is with him. So no wonder Paul says in Philippians, in whatsoever state I am, I have learned to be content. That’s chapter 4. We’re chapter 1, but living with Christ, fellowshiping with Christ. How are we ever going to be content? Unless that’s our primary focus. Unless that’s the key thing. Is God our portion and our strength? Do we find satisfaction? God satisfies your whole person. You know, the first question of the shorter catechism is, what is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end? is to glorify God and what? Enjoy him forever. Not just in this life, but eternity too. Have you come to find complete satisfaction in God alone. Fourthly, have you come to rest confidently in God? Asaph here says in verse 26 that my flesh and my heart fail. Now, he may indeed be referring to his physical death and he’s heading in that direction and perhaps he sees that eventually I’m going to die. But I think there’s more to it. than that. The word fail here means that he’s spent. He’s consumed. He’s finished. He can’t pass through spiritual experience like ASAP did here without it affecting your physical body in some fashion. Perhaps even suffering in body. It’s not hard to believe that ASAP health was affected by going through this ordeal. that his physical well-being may have been troubled by all the stress and he’s physically drained. His energy is consumed. But in addition, if he looks forward to which in the future and death is coming, there’s a day in which his flesh and his heart is going to truly fail. The body’s going to collapse. He’s going to be an old man. The faculty, his mental faculties are, his mental faculties are they always strength will falter. He won’t be able to function as normally as he as he did in the past. The things of time and earth begin to slip away. All that you’ve built in this life is going to pass. You can’t retain it. You can’t keep it. The word which is translated strength, he’s my strength. God is my, is my, is the word rock. He’s my rock. I like what we read in Psalm 18, verse 2. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer. God will be the foundation upon which you can count when there’s a crisis in your life, and he will uphold you. He’ll do it now, and it’ll do certainly later at the time of death. Can you say that? Can you say that God is your strength, your portion, your rock, your inheritance, as we’ve already looked at, is Jesus Christ your foundation stone? Remember what we read in Isaiah. Isaiah says God is a tried stone, a sure foundation, he that believeth, shall not make haste. Now when we get to the New Testament, this is applied directly to Jesus Christ in the book of Romans. And it says this. He that believeth shall never be put to shame. That’s what the word may haste is talking about. You’ll never be put to shame by trusting in Christ because God will see you through it all. Though you pass through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil. Why? Because God, the great shepherd, is with you. Your family and friends may fail you. Your physical activities may come to a screeching halt. Your body may be incapacitated. But God will be your rock. Let me close tonight by saying this. This experience of Asaph has brought him to the point now of greatly adoring his God and worshipping his God as He ought. And actually when we think about it, all the events, all the purpose that we go, the things that we go through in this life, are all geared to that end, isn’t it? To our not to bring us to that point to a closer worship and fellowship with the Lord God himself. You’re given an understanding of life and eternity which inevitably leads to praise to thanking God for His glorious grace to you. The supreme point in the Christian experience is when we come face to face with God in eternity. But for now, for now, God reveals himself to us and his at his and his person, not to satisfy our curiosity, but that we may give him the worship and praise due to his name and that we may appreciate the relationship we have with the Lord. This life is the time when we should develop that closer fellowship with the Lord. In a way, it is preparation for heaven. And if we’re not seeking the Lord and desire and have fellowship with him, why would you ever want to go to heaven? When I read in Revelation, there’s all kinds of worship going on up there. If you’re not engaged in it here, why would you want to go there? So at the end of this life, you may not be rich, you may not be prosperous, you might not hold a high position. But if you have Jesus Christ, you have that which satisfies the soul. And you have the greatest blessing that there is. And we not forget that as we go through this life. Well, let us close with a word of prayer to mind.