Let the Word fall on me as rain upon grass, as showers soaking the earth.
Let the Word flow through me as rivers etching through stone, turning plains into valleys.
Let the Word flow by me, as streams nourishing trees, causing them to bear fruit.
Let the Word burst forth, as waters flowing from our bellies, because we have been brought to believe Christ and His finished work.
The Word is as water, cleansing me from the inside out, washing me from the outside in.
I have been made clean by the Word which Christ speaks to us. Indeed, His Word is Spirit, and it is Life.
By the Word as water, we are rejuvenated, we are restored, we are redirected; We are reborn, transformed by the renewing of our mind.
Praise the Father, Praise the Son;
Praise the Spirit, Three-in-One.
God of glory (and) majesty;
Praise forever to the King of Kings!
Thank You, Father, for the reading of Your wonderful Word.
Psalm 73
The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Trust in God
A Psalm of Asaph.
(or, the unavoidable fate of the wicked, and the irresistible blessing of the righteous, who trust in the Lord)
1 Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no pangs in their death, But their strength is firm.
5 They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment.
7 Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish.
8 They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily.
9 They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth.
10 Therefore his people return here, And waters of a full cup are drained by them.
11 And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always at ease; They increase in riches.
Psalm 73 was written by Asaph, and not David. The composition we’re brought to read after the final, glorious words of David towards our greatly glorious Savior and King… is a tragedy.
Just like that, we’re brought back to the present, with its share of wickedness, assaulting from the outside, and also attempting to sabotage us from within.
Personally, I’ve seen how envious I could get when I see someone else rising while I’ve been brought down. I catch myself hating others, probably because they have what I want for myself – and it doesn’t help that they continue to walk tall, shifting between their blissful ignorance and their short-sighted claims to fame.
And I remember, they are not my enemies. They are flesh and blood as I am, created in the image and likeness of God, as I am. The more I’m brought to seethe with their smugness, the more I thank the Spirit; for He reminds me that Christ died and rose again for them, just as much as He did for me.
Our enemies are not flesh and blood, but we come against the powers and principalities of this world. These are the ones I believe – or, must insist – are the subjects of this tragedy; They wear pride as a necklace, and they wear violence as their garments.
While we’re to believe we ought to be speaking as was written in Proverbs 30, specifically where it’s mentioned that we probably should be considering asking the Lord, not for plenty, not for little, but for just enough, so we would not forget the Lord… these powers roam the earth with abundance, not overflowing out of love, but seemingly out of prosperity.
And it’s out of this abundance of wealth that they speak wicked oppression, and lofty claims even against the heavens. The tools that were built to supplement their identity have now become their identity, and the Lord is consequently shoved off of the pedestal where He alone deserves to be.
Now that I write about this, and with the previous reflection in mind, I’m led to believe that while we judge according to the righteousness Christ won for us, they make their decisions out of their whims, out of the abundance of their own hearts, willingly independent from the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
The longer they remain in this state, the further they are from fullness of joy (in the Lord’s presence); and, consequently, the more the Spirit is blasphemed.
What a cruel, sad state – the further they willingly decide to depend upon themselves, the more they reject the Spirit’s convictions, the ‘higher’ they go according to the fallen ‘standards’ of this reality; Yet, though they ‘rise higher’, they’re actually falling further in a downward spiral.
Tragic, indeed.
13 Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued, And chastened every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,” Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me—
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end.
18 Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction.
19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awakes, So, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image.
21 Thus my heart was grieved, And I was vexed in my mind.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.
So tragic is their state and their eventual downfall, that we who would ponder upon it would also be grieved in heart, and vexed in our minds; Brought low and utterly humbled, as beasts before our almighty God.
So much has been said about their state, but their fate is condensed into two verses; in verses 18-19 we read – Destruction. Desolation.
Their power, broken. Their support and help, shattered. As such, they who have been speaking loftily are now ‘utterly consumed with terrors‘.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.
Yet we in Christ give Him all the glory and praise, for we have beheld this ruin and oblivion; Yet, much as we shudder in its terror, we are ultimately relieved… for we have been spared from such a fate.
Instead of desolation, we have Righteousness. Instead of destruction, we have Life.
And it’s all thanks to Jesus Christ, who, at the end of the day, is all we have. All we need.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.
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 Your works.
Oh my soul, you’ve seen a lot and have gone through a lot through these weeks, months and years.
Continue to trust in the Lord, and draw near to Him. He is your Strength and your Inheritance; He is all you have, and He is all you need.
Let this Word do its part in ministering to you; cleansing your mind and heart, ridding you of all blemish. Let this Word come alive, and let the Spirit shine in and through you…
…All for the unity of the body of Christ, for the advancement of the Kingdom of God, and the utmost glory of His Name, now and forever. Amen.
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