Today OUr Daily Bread Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph. Psalm 73
1 Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure.
2 But as for me, I came so close to the edge of the cliff! My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
3 For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
4 They seem to live such a painless life; their bodies are so healthy and strong.
5 They aren't troubled like other people or plagued with problems like everyone else.
6 They wear pride like a jeweled necklace, and their clothing is woven of cruelty.
7 These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for!
8 They scoff and speak only evil; in their pride they seek to crush others.
9 They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut throughout the earth.
10 And so the people are dismayed and confused, drinking in all their words.
11 "Does God realize what is going on?" they ask. "Is the Most High even aware of what is happening?"
12 Look at these arrogant people— enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.
13 Was it for nothing that I kept my heart pure and kept myself from doing wrong?
14 All I get is trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain.
15 If I had really spoken this way, I would have been a traitor to your people.
16 So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is!
17 Then one day I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I thought about the destiny of the wicked.
18 Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
19 In an instant they are destroyed, swept away by terrors.
20 Their present life is only a dream that is gone when they awake. When you arise, O Lord, you will make them vanish from this life.
21 Then I realized how bitter I had become, how pained I had been by all I had seen.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant— I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
23 Yet I still belong to you; you are holding my right hand.
24 You will keep on guiding me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.
27 But those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you.
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.
~Lena’s Journalin’~
This Psalmist got a new view, got a revelation of what really is, what was and what is to come. He has peered into the face of truth and has gazed into His eyes. When he got himself into the Divine presence was when he was able to see like that, see like God sees, know as God knows. He was lifted up by God. He had a spiritual sense, enough to humbly get into God’s presence and when he did that small act of fellowship and communion, he was lifted up by God’s spirit to a place where he could see all of the Divine answers to his earthly concerns. (5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. ) When a human being gets a revelation of God, really sees into God’s heart, and begins to see at least some of what God’s sees in the overall plan and purpose of things, he will go through anything for the kingdom of God, and willingly, as Jesus did. (And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Mt 11:12)
That is not to say, that we allow anything of the kingdom to be stolen, but to what extent do we fortify it in our own lives, would we die for it?, Live for it?, participate in it?, At ALL cost? What if I get closer and closer to God and stronger and stronger in what I know to be faith, what if I do "all the right things" in Christ? (at least that which I know to do). What if as soon as I begin to head into the wind God tells me to come up against, I get blown over? Or my plans are foiled? Or I’m attacked by sickness or death of a loved one, or strife comes against me in full force and everywhere I turn doors seem to be closed to me in the earthly natural realm? Would I give up what I’ve known for these things? Would I trade my faith in God in for a bit of relief? Would I choose the wide and easy route so I could be more comfortable or feel more naturally secure? Would I forsake the way of truth to gain earthly security and goods, yet give up on the task of furthering eternal security for others? This Psalmist found in God’s presence the answers to these ponderings. How could I? Who am I? I’m naturally nothing, yet God choose me to execute His plan in the universe. What am I looking at, a natural world or an eternal world? Suffering? If I would only see how short term this suffering is in comparison to my eternal abode. If I can only see that its mission against me is to take me off of the track of spreading righteous good news to the inhabitants of this natural world that they too would be completely consumed with all that is temporal and miss the eternal point. We are soldiers in God’s army of purpose, assigned to bring the eternal message, the good news, we are Co-Missioned with Christ to continue in the application of what He accomplished. The enemy is on a mission to stop us in rank and form, to put us out of the "battalion" we’ve been assigned to with others of like faith. God has co-missioned us to serve in this army until Christ is formed in us and in others. The enemy forces are on assignment to kill all that is God’s, to steal any faith we’d have in our commanders, and to destroy the whole army one by one. BUT, there are those who are seeing the greater picture in this strategy and are trusting in their leaders set over them by God. When they see, they’d easily give their lives for the mission, when they see, they’ll readily open their mouths for the mission and be careful to never speak against the mission. They would not allow sickness to stop their mission, they are driven with purpose, and if any attack touched them, they’d focus on the purpose anyway. (Romans 8: 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.) And what is eternal love? To know Him as he is and to make Him known (marry Him and have His children so to speak) till death do us part? No way, on into eternity to continue in His love! What could possibly keep me from this love, nothing, nowhere, ever, if I’ve truly seen Him and am in the knowing of Him.