When God is the Strength of Your Heart

When God is the Strength of Your Heart
Psalm 73:1-28
February 24-25, 2024

You might call it Book III out of the Psalms written by Asaph. Now, Asaph was one of David's great worship leaders. I mean, you might remember that David had a full-time, gloriously great choir, instruments, orchestra. You might say, "Oh, worship filled the city," and Asaph was one of the great ones, the great leaders. This psalm, written by Asaph, touches on some of the deepest issues of life. He wrote this psalm out of his own personal struggle with his faith.

He writes, "My feet came close to stumbling, my steps almost slipped." In other words, his faith almost shipwrecked. Spoiler alert, his faith is not shipwrecked, rather, he comes through the dark valley of doubt into much stronger faith. His faith is tested and tried, but in the end, his faith is stronger for it. As that saying that we quote in many times, faith that cannot be tested is faith that cannot be trusted. It's a psalm written for those going through the same valley of doubt. It's encouraging for those who have struggled with doubt to know that they are not alone, that others have wrestled with their faith and have come through stronger for it.

The reason his faith is shaken has everything to do with his perspective. How he sees what is before his eyes. How he sees, and therefore, how he interprets, in particular, what bothers him is the prosperity of the wicked. That really bothers him. The word prosperity here is the word shalom, meaning more than wealth. No, it's at ease. Oh, they're good. Their life is good. Why do the wicked prosper? Why is their life-- It looks to him, from his view, they got it good. Perspective is everything. How do you perceive? How do you interpret the things that you see with your eyes?

Asaph saw the prosperity of the wicked, and it troubled him. I mean, it embittered him. "Why do they have it good, why do the wicked prosper?" He questioned. In other words, why do good things happen to bad people? Then he looked at his own life, and from the way he saw it, "I'm stricken all day long and I'm chastened every morning." Then he thought, "Well, I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence for what? For nothing? I mean, here I am keeping my heart pure and washing my hands in innocence and then I'm the one stricken all day long and chastened every morning? That's not right, God. The arrogant and the wicked, they are the ones living in prosperity. It's not right."

That's what he means when he says that his feet came close to stumbling and his steps almost slipped. Yes, these were troublesome thoughts that almost shipwrecked his faith. He was knocked down hard, you might say. These thoughts battered his mind, they pierced his soul, and just when you think that he's down for the count, just when you think that it's over, just when you think that his faith is shipwrecked and defeated, he begins to rise.

He lifts his head, he goes into the sanctuary of the living God, he goes to the rock of habitation, he dwelt in the nearness of God, and he abide into the glory, and then everything changed. It's a glorious song because he comes out of this into such victory. There in the presence of the glory of God, he could see what he could not see before. Now he can see much farther, now he can see much clearer. The light of the glory of God has changed everything for him. He could see in the light of glory. He begins the psalm, notice, by saying, "Surely, God is good."

See, what he's saying is, "I want you to know that I know that God is good and God is good to Israel, and that God is good to those who are pure in heart. I want you to know that I know this. I know it because where I'm going to take you, I'm going to take you into this valley of trouble and doubt that I struggled with, but I want you to know going into it, that I know that God is good and that God is good to Israel and that God is good to those who are pure in heart." Let's lay this down before we go into this valley. I want you to know that I know it. God is good, and I'm going to bring you through this valley, but I'm going to bring us into a glorious place before this psalm is done.

Let's read it. Psalm 73:1. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling. My steps had almost slipped, but I was envious. He's just admitting it. I was jealous, I was envious of the arrogant. I saw the prosperity of the wicked. There are no pains in their death, at least this is the way he sees it, they have no pains in their death. Their body is fat. Now, see, he's jealous because in those days, the luxurian wealthy could afford to have enough food to be able to have extra weight. He's like, "Why can't I be like that?" He's envious. They've got the wealth in order to even be able to do this, "I want this." He says, "No, look, they're not troubled like other men. No, they're not plagued like mankind."

No. Therefore, he says, "Pride is their necklace. Oh, they wear pride like a necklace around them and the garment of violence is what they wear. Their eyes even bulge from fatness and the imaginations on their heart, they run riot. They mock, they wickedly speak of oppression. They speak from on high as if they’re high and all that. Then they have set their mouth against the heavens, they mock God, their tongue parades all that throughout the earth." Verse 10. Therefore, his people return to this place and waters of abundance are drunk by them. Oh, and then they say, "Oh, how does God know? Is there knowledge with the Most High? God doesn't know." He said, "Now, behold, these are the wicked. Always at ease. They have increased in their wealth."

Then he turns the thought of the Psalm to himself. Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence for I have been stricken all day long and chastened every morning. Then you come to verse 15. Verse 15 is the turning point. It is the hinge, the whole thing now pivots on verse 15 where he says, "If I had said that I will speak thus, behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children." What he's saying is, "Oh, God, thank you that I did not say, I did not speak of these troubles, I did not reveal to anyone what I was going through as if it was the real thing. I'm so thankful because if I had said that, I would've betrayed the generation of your children, God."

Then verse 16 and 17, it continues. When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome to me in my sight. See, how he sees it, it was troublesome in my sight until I came into the sanctuary of my God. When he came into the sanctuary of God, everything changed. He said, "Then I perceived therein, I could see now what I could not see before. Surely you set them on slippery places." My feet almost slip, no, I see God, you set their feet on slippery places and you cast them down to destruction. Oh, how they are destroyed in a moment. They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors like a dream when one awakes, oh, Lord, when aroused, you will even despise their form.

Then verse 21 is interesting. He's like, "Mea Culpa." He's apologizing. I'm sorry. Verse 21, when my heart was embittered, when I was pierced within, I was senseless and ignorant. I was senseless. I am so sorry. God, I was like a animal. I was like a beast before you. I am so sorry. Nevertheless, I am contingently with You, for You have taken hold of my right hand, and with your counsel, You will guide me, and then, I'll love this, and then afterward You'll receive me to glory. See, now he can see with eternity in view. Now there I can see, oh, there is so much more than what we see here in this earthly life. Oh, no, there is a view to eternity, but I know that there will be a day that You'll receive me and You'll receive me into glory.

I love the word glory. It is the fullness of the presence of the Almighty and glory is beautiful. Oh, I know it now. I see it now. There is eternity in view. There's so much more than this earthy life. One day You'll receive me in glory. Oh, he's just building up now. Oh, the crescendo. He's bringing us into the grand finale of the Psalm. Then he says in verse 25, "Whom have I in heaven but Thee? Now I see, I've been in the glory. Now I'm dwelling in the shadow of the Almighty. Now I see that You, God, are the glory of heaven. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And besides you, I desire nothing on this earth." There is nothing on this earth that compares with Thee.

I. Comparison is the Root of Bitterness

My flesh and my heart may fail. I was speaking out of the weakness of the condition of man, but God is the strength of my heart. I have been abiding in the glory now, and you have strengthened my heart, and you are my portion, and you are my portion forever. Behold, those who are far from You will perish, and You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You, but as for me, the nearness of God is my good. Oh, I have made the Lord God my refuge, my abiding place, my rock of habitation that I may tell of all of Your works. That is a glorious Psalm right there. There's much for us to take hold of and to apply to our life. Starting with this, that comparison is the root of bitterness.

His feet came close to stumbling, his steps had almost slipped because his eyes were fixed on the prosperity of the wicked. That's what he was fixated on, you might say. That's what he was-- he couldn't stop looking at it, and it bothered him. He kept looking at it, and the more he looked at it, the more it bothered him. Look at this. You see, he's envious. This is the problem, he's comparing his life to theirs or their life to his. They're living the good life. Why? Why do they have it so good? They're living the good life.

Now, see, comparison is the root of unhappiness. It is the very root of bitterness. People do it all the time. I call it the Facebook dilemma. See, you look at everyone else's Facebook posts and their Instagram pictures and you see their beautiful, happy family. It seems like they're always doing fun things and they're always smiling, and their kids are always happy, and the kids are always doing fun things. Then you look at your dreary old life. See, you're comparing your dreary old life to their highlights. That's the problem. Comparison is the root of bitterness because you're comparing their highlights to your dreary life.

You've heard the expression, no doubt, the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. You've heard this. Well, it's true. It's actually true. The grass is greener on the other side of the fence, and I can prove it scientifically. You ready? Well, when you're looking at the grass on the other side of the fence, you're looking at an angle. All of the blades of grass blend together. When you look at that grass, at that angle, it makes it look like the fairway of a par five at the Reserve Golf course.

Then you look down. When you're looking at your grass, you're looking straight down at it and you can see the dirt. When you look at their grass, apparently they don't have dirt, because their grass looks great from that angle, but when you looking down at your grass, you got gopher hills, you got mole hills, you got dandelions, you got weeds, and they got a par five. Comparison. See, God knew that this would be a trouble, and that's why He wrote in the 10 Commandments, He spoke to it in the 10 Commandments where He said in Exodus 20:17, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox or his donkey," or his BMW or his boat or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.

A. Why do good things happen to bad people?

By the way, that is the rich expanded version of the Bible right there. The root of Asaph's troubles, oh, no, they're much deeper than this. You see, he saw the arrogance. He saw the wickedness, and he could not understand why they had it so good. At least that's the way it appeared. That's the way he saw it. He was making a wrong conclusion, and many do the same. It's like the question, why do good things happen to bad people? Verse 4 and 5, there are no pains in their death. Their body is fat. Why? They're not in trouble, at least that's the way it looks.

They're not in trouble like other men. They're not plagued like mankind. He could not understand why. Why do the arrogant and the wicked prosper? It doesn't seem right. Asaph wanted the wicked to suffer for their unrighteousness, because-- of course we know that there is a Biblical principle that we do see in the Scriptures that if a person abides in iniquity, if transgression is the bearing of their life, you might say, well, they should expect that their troubles will be great. That the sowing of the seed of iniquity will bear the fruit of that iniquity. It is a Biblical truth.

For example, when Job was suffering, one of his friends said that which everyone assumed to be so, and it is true when you look forwardly. See, it's a truth, principally, looking forward. Job 4:8-9, "According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble will harvest it. By the breath of God, they perish, and by the blast of his anger, they will come to an end." It's like Hosea 8:7, "If they will sow to the wind, they will reap the whirlwind." It'll even be greater.

The besetting storm that they're going to unleash is going to be greater than they've ever calculated. Galatians 6:7-8 speaks to this principle. We call it the principle of the harvest. We quote it because it is a solid Biblical truth. "Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For that which a man sows, that he will also reap. The one who sows to his flesh, will from the flesh reap corruption." The problem is that Asaph is not seeing from God's perspective. He is comparing the prosperity of the wicked to himself.

That comparison is the root of his bitterness. There is much that Asaph could not see. He was blinded by his envy, and he could not see. Perhaps there was a greater purpose that was hidden from his eyes. Perhaps it is an aspect of God's patience toward the wicked, which we see in several places, but there is a powerful one in Romans 9:22-23 where Paul writes it this way, "What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?" He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory.

B. Why do bad things happen to good people?

There's much that Asaph could not see, but then he made it personal. He brought it personally when he essentially said, "Then why do bad things happen to good people?" Verses 13-14. "Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence. I'm the one stricken all day long and chastened every morning. What is the point of keeping my heart pure and washing my hands in innocence? I should be the one enjoying prosperity. I should be the one having no troubles. I should have a life not plagued like other men," so Asaph thought. In other words, bad things shouldn't happen to good people. Bad things should happen to bad people, and good things should happen to good people. The logic concludes.

Based on what? Based on the conclusion that if a person does good things, that it should protect them from bad things. Not only that, but those who do good things should receive good things. If you wash your hands in innocence and keep your heart pure, then only good things should come to you. You should never have troubles. If you ever do experience good things, it is surely an indication that you deserved it. An illustration. Remember in the movie Sound of Music when Maria sang these lyrics when she discovers that Captain von Trapp was in love with her? I'm going to sing this for you now. No, I'm not.

The lyrics are these. Perhaps I had a wicked childhood. Perhaps I had a miserable youth, but somewhere in my wicked miserable past, there must have been a moment of truth. For here you are standing there loving me. That's all you get right there. Whether or not you should, somewhere in my youth in childhood, I must have done something good. Nothing comes from nothing. Nothing ever could. Somewhere in my youth, in childhood, I must have done something good. Many people believe, therefore, that if you've kept your heart pure, if you've washed your hands in innocence, you've been living that which was worthy and honorable, that it should protect you from bad things happening.

In other words, that only good, you should only have good things in your life and never anything bad should happen to you. Shortly after our daughter was killed, many of you know our story, we did not speak to the reporters for 10 days, just being a family. Finally, we realized that we have to. They were camped out there. We have to speak to them. I went out and one of the first questions they asked, "You're a pastor. How do you reconcile this with your faith?" You see, the assumption behind that question is that because I'm a pastor, because I'm a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because I serve God, that only good things should come into my life. I should only have good things. Nothing bad.

See, no need for an umbrella for me. When I walk in the rain, I never get wet. See, bugs never splatter in my windshield. I can lay out in the sun and never get burned because only good things come to me. Really? No, I've been through many very difficult things. Why then was I raised in extreme poverty? Why then did I have an alcoholic father who abused my mother? Why was my daughter killed by someone who simply wanted to know what it felt like? Oh, I have been through many troubles, but this I know, God has let me see. I know by faith that God will settle all accounts. Amen. I know by faith that God will settle all accounts. I know that I can trust God with my eternal life so I can trust Him right here with my life here on Earth. Amen?

C. Some things ought not be spoken

Now, let's give Him a praise. Amen. Amen. Then I want you to notice verse 15, because there is a great truth for us to take hold of out of this verse, and that is this, that some things ought not be spoken. Some things ought not be spoken. Notice in verse 15 where he said, "If I had said that I will speak thus, if I had spoken what I felt then, I would've betrayed the generation of your children." What is he saying? I am so thankful, God, that I didn't speak thus, because if he did, he would've been wrong and he would've betrayed the generation of God's children.

In other words, sometimes it's best just to be quiet. Some things ought not be spoken. In our modern day of social media, it's easy for people to say whatever ugly thing that they think or whatever ugly thing they feel today. I tell you what, we're living in a day, I have never seen so much ugliness coming out of man like I'm seeing today because of social media. Anybody want to agree with me? It is ugly. It's always been there, but social media gave a voice to it. There are many ugly things ought not be spoken. See, when you're going through something difficult and you're wrestling with it in your heart, and you're struggling with your thoughts and your faith has not yet processed to get through it to the victory of it, then some things ought not be spoken. It's best to be quiet.

If you're angry and confused, then some things ought not be spoken. It's best to be quiet until you have prayed that through with God, and God has brought you through that valley into the other side. In other words, you are not ready to give your testimony until you've come to the other side of it like Asaph did. You're not ready to give your testimony until you have come into the sanctuary of God, until you have dwelt in the glory, until God has opened your eyes to see what you did not see before. Oh, he's bringing us now into a glorious grand finale of this psalm, and it is summarized, come into the sanctuary of God. You've got to come into the glory.

II. Come into the Sanctuary of God

See, when I pondered-- verse 16, "When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome for me until I came into the sanctuary of my God. Until I worshiped with the saints, until I dwelt in the shadow of the Almighty, until the word of God washed over my soul, until the glory of God abided upon me. Then I was changed." See, the light of the glory changed his view, his perspective. He could see what he could not see before. Now he can see much farther than he could ever see. He could see now that there is so much more beyond this earthly life. His circumstances did not change, but he changed. He could see in the light of God's glory.

A. Whom have I in heaven but You?

First, he could see that God settles all accounts with the wicked. That's what he saw first. He was so troubled by the wicked and then he sees because of the light of the glory of God, oh, every person who lives and abides in wickedness is going to have to give an accounting of his life to God. Every single person is going to have to stand before the Almighty and give an accounting of his life. He says, "Surely, you set them on slippery places and cast them down to destruction." See, but then he takes his eyes off of the wicked. He will entrust their end to the hand of God. Then what follows next are some of the most glorious verses found in the Bible, "Whom have I in heaven but Thee?"

Now he sees that there is so much more than this earthly life. He sees the glory. Besides you, I desire nothing on this earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and God is my portion forever. The beautiful result of Asaph coming into the sanctuary of God, and dwelling in the glory of God's presence. Before, he was envious. Why? He was envious because he had fixed his eyes on the prosperity of the wicked, but now, coming into the sanctuary of God, he has fixed his eyes on the glory. Now he sees what he did not see before, and that put everything into perspective. He has fixed his eyes on something far grander.

It reminds me of Hebrews 12:1 and 2. Let us run with endurance this race that is set before us by fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross. He endured great suffering, great agony of soul. Why? Because of the joy set before Him. Despising the shame, He sat down at the right hand of God. See, then he writes, "There is nothing on this earth that I desire that compares with Thee. God is the strength of my heart." Now God has strengthened thus soul within him. God is my portion forever. See, when God is your portion, God is your inheritance.

There is nothing on this earth that compares to the glory that we receive from the Almighty. There is nothing on this earth that can satisfy what the soul desires. Don't get me wrong. There are many wonderful things on the earth, but they're not enough to satisfy what the soul desires. See, without God, the things of the earth are empty. They're empty. I was thinking of an illustration. Recently we were in South Florida. We were there for some meetings, but we had some extra time off, and so we were just driving around. We like just driving around looking at other people's houses.

They got that intercoastal waterway and they got lots and lots of canals. Of course, people love to build great houses next to water. We were driving up and down these canal roads and, oh my, the houses were palatial. These must have been, I don't know, 8,000, 9,000, 10,000 square foot homes, seven, eight, nine bedrooms, and then a lot of them had docks out there with 150-foot mega million yacht. Apparently, that's the guest house, I don’t know. Some of them had glass garages. You know why? They want to make sure that you can see into their garage so you can see their convertible Bentleys and their Lamborghinis. They want you to be envious.

Oh, look at these palatial homes. Where would you even live in a house like that? There, there, there, there, or there? It's such a massive house. Where do you even live? You have to call your wife. "Where are you? Oh, you're there. I'll be there in 10 minutes." Would you want to live like this? Well, first of all, who would be your friends? Here's what I know. It's not enough. That's not enough for me. That's not enough for you, Pastor? What do you need? I need glory. That's what I need. Because that is empty. It's void of meaning. There's no meaning in it. The writer of Ecclesiastes calls it vanity. Vanity of vanities. It's empty. It's meaningless.

I need more than that. I need glory. That's what I need. I need glory. I need the presence of the Living God. I need to dwell in the shadow of the Almighty. My soul needs to be alive. I need meaning. I need presence. I need glory. That's what I need. Amen? Amen. That's why he brings us to this glorious grand conclusion. The finale of the Psalm, you can imagine the choirs and the orchestra building up now to a grand finale where he says, "And the nearness of God is my good." It's the nearness of God. That's the grand finale, the glorious conclusion. I have made the Lord God my refuge, my dwelling place, my rock of habitation. There is where the glory dwells.

B. The nearness of God is my good

The nearness of God is my good. The nearness of God is good because God's glory is beautiful on the soul. God's glory is beautiful. God's presence is glory, is light, is life, is peace, is joy. The overflowing abundance is the life of the glory that makes the soul beautiful. I need glory. That's what he says. Paul writes it in 2 Corinthians 3:18, where he says, "But we all with unveiled face--" What does that mean? Before, he said there was a veil that lay over their hearts. A veil. They're blinded.

They could not see, but we, we who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, we who abide in the nearness of God, we who abide in the Lord Jesus Christ, we with unveiled face, he says, beholding as in a mirror, the glory. The glory of the Lord. In the Old Testament we would say the glory of the Almighty. We are being transformed into that same image of that glory. Notice. From glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the spirit. That's what God is doing and that's where we abide. It is the nearness of God that is my good. See, the glory of God is a transforming power. When you draw near to the glory of God, you cannot help but be transformed, because His glory is beautiful on the soul.

The spirit of the Living God is what brings the joy, the peace, the love. The bearing of God's glory is beautiful. I need glory. That's the grand conclusion. Fix your eyes, open your heart, let the veil be removed, and see the glory. Father, we are so thankful for You, how You have revealed Your glory. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? Besides You, I desire nothing on this earth. There is nothing on this earth that compares with You. There is nothing on this earth that will fill the desire of what I need. My soul longs for more of God's glory. Church, how many would make a declaration to the Lord today?

My soul, it needs glory. I long to dwell in the shadow of the Almighty. God, Thank you for opening my eyes. There is nothing on this earth that compares with You. Whom have I in heaven but You? There is so much more than this earthly life. You are my glory. You are that which has made my soul alive. I want to just declare it. I want to just say it to You, God, I have no one in heaven but You, and there is nothing on this earth that compares with You. I want more glory. Church, would you just raise your hand if that is your declaration, if that is what you would just say to the Almighty. I just want to say it. I want to just declare it. God, You have made my soul alive. Thank you.

I want to abide in the sanctuary of God. I want to abide in the glory. Thank you, God. We give you glory and honor and praise in Jesus' name, and everyone said, amen. Let's give Him praise. He is worthy of our praise. Amen.