This week, Michael says: The question for today is, “Is it well with your soul?” If we look at the world around us and at our own circumstances, we’ll be stressed, depressed and distressed. However, our joy is in the object of our joy ... our joy is in the Lord. Joy is not the absence of pain; joy is the presence of the Lord. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Through it we make a deliberate choice to position our heart inside of God’s heart. Therefore, Philippians 4:4 says, Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. Within the joy of the Lord, although the storm rocks our boat and the waves crash around us, it is well... it is well with our soul.
Psalm 73 is a Psalm of Asaph, one of David’s chief choir directors. David himself was a musician. Part of rejoicing is to lift up our voices as a choir in harmony unto the Lord as we “tune our hearts to sing thy praise.”
According to Psalm 73:1-28 “Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was
envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore, pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish. They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth. Therefore, his people return here, and waters of a full cup are drained by them. And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?” Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always at ease; They increase in riches.
Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I had said, “I will speak thus,” Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children. When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me—Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awakes, so, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image. Thus, my heart was grieved, and I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. 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.”
It’s easy to stumble when we look at the sinful world around us. The Psalmist began this psalm with a lamentation. It seems that the world around us is full of chaos, confusion, darkness and evil. Why would God allow the darkness? From the perspective of our fallen sin nature, God will appear like an unkind friend, an unnatural Father and an unrighteousness judge ... but he is not. God is not like the injustice and the unrighteousness of this fallen world. If we look around us we’ll be stressed, if we look at ourselves, we’ll be depressed, if we look at others, we’ll be distressed, but if we look at the Lord, our God through Christ’s eyes behind our eyes, we’ll be blessed.
In verse 2 the Psalmist looks at the battle inside his own soul. The Apostle Paul said, “I buffet my body to bring it under control”. The spiritual battle is first a battle for our own soul ... for our own hearts and minds. In 2 Peter, there are seven characteristics to add to our faith to make our calling and election sure. 2 Peter 1:5b-9 “add to your faith virtue, (superior excelling excellence) to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love (the unconditional love of God). For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” If you give your utmost diligence to these things to make your calling and election sure, you shall never fall.
Let's continue Michael's message on the soul in the next post.
In CHrist, Brian
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