On Revival
Psalm 73
A Psalm written by Asaph. While not a Davidic Psalm it is no less valuable.
Asaph was especially selected and ordained, together with his sons,
by David to lead the music program in the temple.
1 Chronicles 25:1,2
1 Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen according to their service was:
2 Of the sons of Asaph; Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah, the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph, which prophesied according to the order of the king.
Later in Nehemiah the sons of Asaph, 148 of them, are recommissioned for service as singers in the rebuilt Jerusalem and temple after the Babylonian captivity. Neh. 7:44.
Twelve Psalms are attributed to Asaph. Psalm 50 and then Psalms 73 to 83.
So let us consider the words of the man of God, the prophet by song and music.
73:1 Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
Now this testimony is what is readily expected of a man in his position. He is not reticent in respect to the goodness of God. Every preacher will stand and greet the crowd with a God is good salute. Everyone there can attest to the goodness of God.
He is good especially to those who are of a clean heart. The Psalmist speaks of God and of God’s people. He is quick to pronounce the requirement of a clean heart to experience the goodness of God. Perfection is not required but our hearts should be clean. There is a way available to all to acquire the heart God seeks after. Today by the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross we have access to the blood of Jesus that is able to clean the darkest stain of sin. I venture to believe all of us are walking in this and experiencing the goodness of God. If it seems to you that God is not good you may not want to assault God, but you should look within and see the condition of your heart. Enjoy the goodness of God.
Now, after his introduction in verse one, Asaph changes his song. He sets himself apart as one that is at odds with his own words. Yes God is good but something is going on in my own life.
2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
Quite the declaration from the man of God.
He opens his heart and allows us to peek inside. His honesty, his sincerity, his transparency is notable.
But as for me. I recall the great faithful servant of the Lord declaring before the same God and the same nation. Joshua said, in Joshua 24:15
As for me, and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Asaph was not quite as strong on this day. He confesses I am about to lose it. I’m on a downward spiral here folks. I’m on slippery ground.
Well, we’re not all Joshuas. And a lot of us are more like Asaph.
3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Asaph had turned his gaze. He honestly quit looking at the goodness of God and settled his observatory skills on the world, on other people, on the seeming prosperity of the wicked. And he became envious of the way the ungodly seem to get along with nary a problem.
Now you would think a man in his position would have none of these thoughts. But in his mental meandering he delves deeply into what it is he considers to be a discrepancy, a great discrepancy. Looks like he spent a great deal of time in this discouraged mode as he intricately defines the life of a sinner.
He may have just witnessed a funeral for one of these wicked ones as this is where he starts.
4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
To their dying day it is like there is no intensity of grief, or remorse, or even declination of strength. At death they are greatly eulogized and they pass on as if they are without fault. His comrades declare him to have been a good man and that now he is in a better place.
5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.
7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
As if that were not bad enough, in life they face no trouble. They are not plagued like other men. Their money, position, connections, seem to exempt them from hardship. They become proud and even coarse and violent toward the man of lower degree. All they see, they can obtain. They have more than any heart could wish for. They are corrupt.
That’s just verses 5-8.
Then he sees their attitude toward God. v 9-
9 They set their mouth against the heavens.
They lash out at God irreverently. They prattle against him and have no restraint in their complaint.
And their tongue walketh through the earth.
Not one of God’s works is good enough for them.
They proclaim the ignorance of God and his inability to have a clue of what is going on. His omnipresence, omnipotence, and his omniscience is denied.
11 And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
These, says Asaph, are the ungodly.
12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
They seem to be doing fine.
Why should I even bother? Now he considers his life.
13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
What is the point of living for God? Allowing God to work in my life. Following him, reading the word, praying, attending church.
I like verse 15.
15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
I can’t tell everyone this. They would be offended by my honesty and I would discourage them.
Leaders have no one to go to with their doubts, their struggles, their pain, their disappointments. People just want to hear the preacher is fine and now listen to my problem. The man and woman of God become the sounding board of every Tom, Dick and Harriet. They suffer in silence.
V 16 tells us how it feels.
16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
It just doesn’t seem fair does it?
Some of us have thought like Asaph the great Psalmist, prophetic musician, singer, and leader in God’s house. We all know the person, not even so wicked, who ignores God, the Church, Godly counsel, yet they seem to go their merry way, always land on their feet, and look at us like we are the foolish ones.
Sometimes it is painful for us. To invest in people, emotionally, spiritually, financially even and they turn around, go out the door, and like the nine lepers never return to give thanks.
16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
Some of us are hurting right now. You are sitting where Asaph sat. But listen. Asaph didn’t stay there! Hallelujah!
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
That is why we have revival. It is for the lost, it is for the wayward, it is an all out effort to rescue the perishing and care for the dying. As Fanny Crosby, another Psalmist, wrote back in 1869:
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.
Refrain:
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.
She was right. Revival is about all of that. But thank God it is more.
It is for the Asaphs of God. The faithful one facing doubts, hurts, discouragement. It is for the Leader in need of some spiritual insight. It is for the praise team to be lifted up. It is for the saint to be refired.
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
The sanctuary of God. Where God's ways are celebrated and taught. Where understanding is received.
The House of God, the church. Paul says,
15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Here truth is revealed. The word is preached. The entrance of your word gives light.
Then understood I their end.
18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
At the beginning Asaph says: 2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
Now he sees they are the ones in slippery places.
19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. What is not observable to our eyes. In the night seasons they shake with terror, the fear of death. They have no answers, no solution, no hope.
20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.
Image is all they have. Their agents and PR people present them to the world as some great one. It is all image. This is what it is like to be a sinner.
21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
I became blind to the truth. Wow Lord I’m sorry. Truly you are good. And a rewarder of those that diligently seek you. Thank you for the understanding.
Asaph’s faith is renewed. The house of God provided a crucial turning point. This next week spend some time in the house of God and see what God will show you.
Asaph now changes his tune. Literally.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.
What a change of direction. Just by going to the sanctuary of God. That was his rightful place. To that he had been appointed. When he returned his life was changed.
He concludes:
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.
Revival is here. Avail yourself of the opportunities to seek God intensely.
Asaph went from:
2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
To:
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God:
And so it is for all of us. Amen. -PJF-
And now a word from our Pastor…
A Summer to Remember
As children, we were told not to say certain words because they were “bad.” When I was in fifth grade, the kids in my class said “bad” words.
They never said them loud enough for an adult to hear them, but in conversations among peers those words flowed like a broken drink dispenser. It was then that I realized the secret to using those bad words. It was ok to say them…. as long as an adult didn’t hear you.
I always thought that lightning from heaven would strike children down if they uttered such words, but nothing happened to my classmates. They were foul-mouthed (yes even in fifth grade), and rude, and nasty… but they were still alive and as long as the teacher didn’t hear them, they kept on.
Eventually I decided to test the waters and say a bad word. I was with some girls at recess and they were talking about another girl who was really mean. I opened my mouth and said a bad word. My friends were shocked! They stopped and just stared at me for a few seconds (that seemed like eternity), shook it off, and kept talking. Nothing happened to me. I wasn’t struck down with lightning and I never got in trouble.
At the end of my eighth grade year I went to Junior Camp with my church youth group. Some of my friends from school were at camp with me and we just continued like we always did. Cursing and saying whatever we wanted as long as the adults weren’t around.
One day, on our way back to the cabins my friends and I were talking. We were just being silly, joking around and I said a bad word. All of a sudden someone in front of us stopped, turned quickly, and just stared at us. It was one of the youth pastor’s wives. She knew that I was the one that was talking, so she looked directly at me and said, “Sad. That’s just really sad. Such a shame… really sad.” She turned back around and walked away.
I had never felt that bad about cursing before. In my juvenile mind, I was ok because no one (no adult anyway) knew. That night, when I got caught I felt nothing but shame. I couldn’t shake it. Eventually my friends laughed it off, but I couldn’t. Something was happening to me.
I got saved at 8 or 9 years old. Other than not going to Hell, I didn’t fully comprehend what being saved meant. I started cursing when I was 10 years old. Four years later at that summer camp, I found out what guilt and shame was and I didn’t like it.
The next few days at camp were different for me. I repented for my foul mouth and I prayed that God would help me. I even found the youth pastor’s wife and apologized to her. After that I was careful with my words and I learned other ways to express myself instead of resorting to curse words.
When the school year began my friends noticed that I wasn’t cursing anymore. I told them that God did a work inside of me at summer camp and I didn't want to talk that way again. They were a little skeptical at first. They kept waiting for me to slip up and go back to cursing again but I never did. Months later my friends finally gave in to the fact that I had changed. God freed me from that and I no longer had the desire to express myself that way.
Maybe the first time you experienced guilt and shame was very different from mine and that’s ok. I pray that the end result is the same as mine: forgiven and set free. Whatever you are bogged down with, go to God. He is ready to forgive you and set you free. -SAF-
Reminds me of a story in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 5, verses 4-6.
4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
Truly there is a lot of good preaching in this account of a good day of fishing. I’ve read the bumper sticker that says, a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work. Only problem for Simon was that he was at work and so it equaled a bad day of fishing, and a bad day at work. Not a pleasant feeling, especially when the day involved a whole night.
It was time for a draught, (draft), a great catch or haul of fish. For Simon it was more of a good time to go home and get some sleep. But Jesus wouldn’t allow one of his favorite fishermen to leave empty handed with nothing to take to market, and have to go home and give Sister Simon the dismal report. In addition Jesus would not allow this hard night to go by without a lesson. So he gives the command, Launch out into the deep.
Quickly, since I’m running out of space, the key is deep. Time to move beyond the shallow waters of mediocrity, lethargy, apathy, and weariness. Not to mention fear, doubt and general unbelief. It is time to raise up out of the chair of easy does it and the couch of potato mentality. There is a great catch awaiting. Jesus knows it and he expects us to involve ourselves in his great plan for humanity.
The big deal is not only that they caught a lot of fish. The lesson is we are called to greater things both in the natural and the spiritual. All truth. I say, is parallel. Jesus desires for us to succeed in life, business, and as a Christian. And he also wants us to see the parallel of that. He says to Simon, in verse 10, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. That is greater and more significant and of a farther reaching effect than the previous miracle. The world is lost and on its way to an eternal hell. Care to catch a few souls? -PJF-
Catoosa Wildlife Management Area Crab Orchard, TN. Photo by Shirley Flores ©2023 All rights reserved.
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.
Psalm 118:17
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Purpose! Ministries Inc.
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Clermont, FL 34714
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Pastors PJ and Shirley Flores
Purpose! Ministries
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