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“When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered…Yet, I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.” Psalm 73:21, 23-28

This psalm was credited to Asaph, one of the Levite men assigned by King David to use his musical gift as worship. He wrote this after looking around noting that so many of those around him were adversaries, looking away from the LORD and not following His ways. He speaks in this chapter of being among them and how tempting their ways may be instead of God’s ways. He goes on to speak about his own relationship with God as if he is convincing Himself as a weapon against falling into earthly ways.

In our world today, this is paramount for our faith as we blend into our surroundings. This earth demonstrates over and over again that it possess nothing that we should desire except the stage for how God writes, produces and directs the play of our life. We have an audience who is more than happy to sit by and watch to determine the authenticity of our performance.

The most successful way to guard against the world’s thinking is to rehearse how God has written our manuscript, produced the fruit of our lives and directed each step along the way. Asaph simplifies his life into four basic principles:

1 – Our heart and spirit will be saddened in this life;

2 – We will always be held and guided by our Father;

3 – The more we desire our Father in heaven, the less we desire things of the earth;

4 – By remaining close to God on earth we will have everything we need until we have
God in heaven.

As we deepen our intimate engagement with God, our spirit will long for Him and look towards the day when the curtain falls, the play is done and we all go home.