God is good (Psalm 73:1)

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 oppose 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