Look inside this book.Where the Bush is Burning: A Daily Devotional by [Thomas Tice]

Tag: Psalm 73
‘Trust In the Lord’

‘Trust In the Lord’

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‘Trust in the Lord’

Psalm 73:28

As we continue to dwell upon Asaph’s closing remarks, we come to consider where he has landed as far as his own faith.  Asaph declares, ‘I have put my trust in the Lord God.’  The fact is, when it comes to life and the living of it, we will trust in something or someone.  People trust in a variety of things.  They trust in their own intellect, their own strength, their own education or a combination of these.  Beyond that, they may trust in science, in government, in education or in what they perceive to be the basic goodness of human nature.  The reality is that none of these things, however useful they may be, are completely reliable.  Christ alone is utterly reliable.  Asaph had come to the conclusion that not only was it good for him ‘to draw near to God,’ but also that he was wisest to ‘put his trust in the Lord God.’  It is the same for us.  Other things in which people trust may have their places of usefulness, but none of them will ultimately bear us up unconditionally.  Christ Alone is utterly trustworthy.  Therefore, while we may use these other means and methods, our trust is ‘in Lord God.’  He will not fail, because He cannot fail.  After all his spiritual struggling, here is where Aspah arrived.  Everything we know of Christ leads us to do the same as Asaph did.  Let us put our trust in Christ.

Our utterly trustworthy God,
we rejoice that confidence in You is never misplaced.
We praise You that from age to age You remain the same
and will forever uphold all who trust in You.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
‘To Draw Near to God’

‘To Draw Near to God’

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‘To Draw Near to God’

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.

Psalm 73:28

After Asaph’s spiritual struggles he came good, and was able to make statements which reflected his growth in grace.  We have considered some of those statements over the past days.  We do not want to leave this passage without considering his final conclusion.  In the portion of the text we consider today, he says, ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God.’  To put it in Christological terms, it is good for me to draw near to Christ.  What makes it good for me to do that?  If I draw near to Christ, then I begin to see things from His perspective, and that is good.  If I see things from His perspective, then I understand things in a most spiritual way, and that is good.  If I draw near to Christ, then I side with Him and that is good.  If I side with Him, then I more greatly understand His Mercy, His Justice, and His Truth, and that is good.  If I draw near to Christ, then in keeping company with Him, I grow to imitate Him, and that is good.  If I imitate Him, then others will see Christ in me, and that is good.  If I draw near to Christ, then others who see Christ in me will seek Him, draw near to Him, and that is good.  So Christ gets all the glory for the results of drawing near to Him; and so He should, for He is worthy.

Our Loving God and our Heavenly Father,
we praise You that You have enabled us to draw near to You.
We pray that daily, by the power of Your Holy Spirit,
You will enable us to draw even nearer and to gain a fuller sight of Christ.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
‘My Portion Forever’

‘My Portion Forever’

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‘My Portion Forever’

 

My flesh and my heart faileth:  but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26

We want to dwell a few moments longer on the latter portion of our text from yesterday.  Asaph proclaims that God is his ‘portion forever.’  In essence, what he is saying is that his eternal inheritance is God.  In Israel’s history, as they came into the promised land, they received their ‘portion.’  Naboth was loath to part with his ‘portion’ which was a vineyard.  There was a great attachment to the allotted portion of the various tribes.  This was their inheritance from Jehovah.  Asaph said of God that He was his portion forever.  So it is for us with Christ.  Christ is our ‘portion forever.’  Heaven is only heaven because Christ is there.  What value would there be of gates of pearl, streets of gold, a river of crystal, a shining city, and all our dearest earthly relations if Christ was absent?  Heaven would be hell for us if, Christ was not there.  He is our ‘portion forever.’  Age upon age, eon upon eon will roll before we will be able to even scratch the surface of what it means for Christ to be our ‘portion forever.’  With Asaph, David, Abraham, Moses and all the redeemed of all the ages, we will gather around the Throne of Grace to sing, ‘Worthy is the Lamb.’  This is our future because Christ is our ‘portion forever.’  Eternity has already begun.

‘O, God our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come.’
We praise You that throughout all eternity,
we will rejoice in You and in the Christ
whom You have made our portion forever.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Preparing for Worship

Preparing for Worship

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9:30 am Worship Service

10900 Huron Street

Northglenn, CO

Scripture:  Psalm 73:23-26

Thy God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.  But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  For there are no bands in their death:  but their strength is firm.  They are not in trouble as other me; neither are they plagued like other men.  Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.  Their eyes stand out with fatness:  they have more than heart could wish.  The are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression  they speak loftily.  They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.  Therefore his people return hither:  and waters of a full cup are wring out to them.  And they say, How doth God know?  and is there knowledge in the most High?  Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.  Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.  For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.  If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.  When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.  Surely thou didst set them in slippery places:  thou castest them down into destruction.  How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terror.  As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when tho awakest, thou shalt despise their image.  Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.  So foolish was I, and ignorant:  I was as a beast before thee.   Nevertheless I am continually with thee:  thou hast holden me by my right hand.  Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.  Whom have I in heaven but thee?  and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.  My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.  For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish:  thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.  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.

Sermon:  Our Never-failing Christ

  1.  Christ never lets us go.
  2. Christ gets us all the way home.
  3. Christ is Who we have when everyone else is gone.

Catechism: Westminster Shorter Catechism Question #41

Wherein is the moral law summarily comprehended?

The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.

Deuteronomy 4:13  And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tales of stone.
Matthew 19:17-19  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God:  but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.  He saith unto him, Which?  Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Worship:

He is King

Before the throne of God Above

Jesus Thank You

 
‘God Is The Strength’

‘God Is The Strength’

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‘God Is The Strength’

‘My flesh and my heart faileth:  but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.’

Psalm 73:26

It is important for us to have a good understanding of the spiritual realities of life.  Some of our hardest spiritual experiences will help us to arrive at that understanding as God gives us wisdom.  Asaph had come through a rough patch. He had wrestled with the  apparent inequities of God’s dispensations of providence.  Once he began to see things from God’s perspective, he began to have a better understanding of God, of His ways, of His Character, and of himself.  This led him to confess his wrong spirit and attitude.  By the time we arrive at our text for today, Asaph lays himself open and bare before God and his audience.  He says, ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.’  Here is truth for us all.  We also can say of ourselves, ‘My flesh and my heart fail.’  We have no might or strength in and of ourselves.  It is God, or we may say, it is Christ, Who ‘is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.’  We utterly depend, every day, all day, and moment by moment upon the strength which Christ provides for us.  All the wealth we have is in Him.  He is our ‘portion forever.’ When we stand upon the golden shore, we will look back over the winding pathways of life with all of it’s difficulties and be able to say, ‘Christ has brought me unto Himself and given me strength.  He is my portion forever.’

Our Good and Gracious God,
we rejoice that You are our portion, now and forever.
We praise You that Christ is ours, and we are His,
and that because of Your mighty power so it will always be.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

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