So, Psalm 73, a psalm of Asaph. A psalm of Asaph. Let's hear God's words. 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're 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 their 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've 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. 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 beside 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've put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all your works. Well, that's a great psalm, isn't it? We need God's help as we look at it together. So we're thinking about help for hard days. This morning, Psalm 61, what to do when you feel overwhelmed. I preached on that psalm about two years ago in my own church. Somebody came up to me afterwards and went, cats! If you like cats, do you like cats? Anyone like cats? They like cats actually. But they said, cats! Cry, abide, trust, sing. That was their way of remembering those four things. So if you like ways of remembering. It was a bit of a bizarre moment when they said cats and martyrs. But there you go. If you want a way to remember, cry, abide, trust, sing. Well, I can't make an animal out of my headings for this afternoon. But we'll look at Psalm 73. What to do when you feel like giving up? What to do when you're struggling in the Christian faith when doubts appear? What to do when you look at your life and it just doesn't seem to add up? What to do when the Christian life's hard and perplexing and God doesn't seem to be doing anything about it? When you're tempted to doubt God's love and God's concern and is it really worth carrying on. I wonder if you ever feel like that or look at the world around you and it just seems they're having it so much easier. Your work colleagues, your neighbors seem to have a wonderful time while you as a Christian struggle away. What to do when you feel like giving up? People do give up. People do give up. Paul has a fellow labourer called Demas, doesn't he? Solid, he seems. Committed, he seems. One of Paul's fellow labourers. Paul used him, sent him places, but as time went on, of course, he began to think about things differently, didn't he? He began to think the cost was too much and the world became increasingly attractive to him. Eventually it took over his heart, so in that last letter that Paul wrote, you know, don't you, the tragic words, Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world. I could tell you the names of people at Great Ellingham for whom that's happened, who were once part of us, once committed perhaps, seemed to be anyway, but they're not there anymore, they've given up, the cost was too much, the way was too hard, and their feet slipped and they've wandered away. So even if you don't feel like that now, you need to know what to do when... when you do feel like that or when you're tempted to feel like that. We need to understand the danger and we need to know and be clear about the answer. So I mean, we're thankful for another honest Psalmist. We're thankful this morning for David being prepared to say, mighty David, you know, my heart gets overwhelmed at times. And we're thankful this afternoon for Asaph, or Asaph, who admits in verse two, my feet had almost stumbled. You know, what's he saying? He's saying, I'd nearly gone. I was nearly out the door. I was really on the edge. So Christians can get like that. Godly Christians, committed Christians, solid Christians can have times where in the battle and in the hard times they're tempted to give up, they could go astray. The world seems very appealing. So we need to know what to do. So we've got three headings. This afternoon, we've got three headings. That's proper, isn't it, three? Struggle in Asaph's life, and then the moment that made the difference, and then the understanding that changed everything. So let's just think about that for a little while this afternoon. First of all, the struggle in Asaph's life. That's verses 1 to 16. He tells us at the beginning of the psalm, he'd almost reached the point of giving up look verse one and two truly god is good to israel to such as are pure in heart i mean that you know he knows the theory if you like he knows the theology he knows what he ought to be saying and what he ought to be believing but um it doesn't feel like that It doesn't seem like that. And he's almost come to the point where he's going to turn his back on everything. He's going to turn his back on his faith and go back to the world. He's become envious and bitter and self-pitying and thoroughly fed up. Again, have you ever reached that point? I mean, it can happen, especially if life's hard and difficult and you've got trials and troubles and your prayers seem unanswered. And Asaph tells us then that he was envious of the wickeds and the boastful, envious of what they had. He felt, oh, if only I could be in their shoes, if only I could walk their way. Seems a lot easier. And he's quite honest, so he gives us a number of reasons why. He's envious of their prosperity. Verse 3, I was envious of the boastful when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They're wealthy. As he looked at them, they seem to have everything they wanted. They seem to lack nothing at all. They've got great riches. They've got plenty of food, he says in verse 7. Their eyes bulge with abundance. They have more than a heart could wish. They've eaten so much their eyes are popping out. They're not struggling to pay the mortgage. They seem to always have money to go out on the town, and the Amazon van's constantly turning up with more gadgets and more, you know, the latest outfit, and they've always got the best chariot or whatever it might be. And not only that, they seem to get more and more wealthy. Verse 12, they increase in riches. Their success just goes on and on, their wages go up, their investments rise. That's so wicked. He's envious of their prosperity. He's also envious of the fact they seem to have no troubles. Look at verse five. They're not in trouble like other men, nor are they plagued like other men. As he looks on, they seem to have an easy life. Everything goes smoothly for them. Everything goes well for them. They seem to sail along without a single problem. Things couldn't go bad. They've got great wealth. They've got good health. Everything's going well. The children are good looking and pass their exams and get the best jobs. And they even seem to die peacefully, he says. Look at verse 4. There's no pangs in their death. There's no pains in their death. They even seem to die. All right. And then he's proud also, sorry, he's envious of their proud ways too. Verse 6, following, you know, because they're doing so well for themselves and because they're wealthy, they think they're wise, they think they know it all, they think they're very special and they talk as if they have authority and wisdom and insight. Verse 8, they scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression, they speak loftily. Back to verse six, pride serves as their necklace. You can see in the way they stand, in the way that they walk, there's got a strut about them, a swagger about them. They're on top of the world, they know what they're doing. They got a million followers on Twitter or whatever it is, and everybody's following them and thinking about them. And he's envious. And what caused him to have even greater doubts is what makes him really feel like giving up is that while everything's going so well for them and everything's going smoothly for them and they're so prosperous, they're at the same time living wickedly. And even mocking God. Look at verse 11. And they say, how does God know? Is their knowledge in the most high? They're almost challenging God. Where is he? What's he gonna do about it? And that's how they're carrying on, and they're getting away with it. You know, why doesn't God do something? Why doesn't God strike them all down? Or give them, at least give them some troubles? And he just can't understand it, can he? He says, verse 12, behold, these are the ungodly. Look at them, look at them. Behold, that's what it means, isn't it? Look, these are the ungodly. They're always at ease. Perhaps there are times when, do you ever feel like that? I mean, Jesus did say, didn't he, that their way is the broad way. Which means, well, it's a bit easy. In some ways it's easy, isn't it? It's the broad way. You can do what you like. You're not tied in by the boundaries of God's word. You can eat and drink and be merry and do as you like. And it is easy to become envious. And then, of course, to top it all off, as if that wasn't bad enough, as if that wasn't hard enough to stomach. Asaph, who's been trying to follow God and trying to do the right thing and trying to walk in God's ways, has known nothing but trouble. That's verse 14, isn't it? For all day long, I have been plagued and chastened every morning. As he's trying to follow God and do the right thing, he's having a terrible time. He's got troubles, he's being chastened, his health is bad, his circumstances are difficult, exactly the opposite. for the way the wicked are. And so he says in verse 13, doesn't he? See verse 13, surely I've cleansed my heart in vain. Cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocence. Surely it's, you know, he's getting to that point, surely it's been a waste of time. I've been trying to live for God, trying to do the right thing, trying to honour the Lord and look at me. And God doesn't seem to care and he's not doing anything about it and I might as well give up. That's how he'd been. Now, it's clear that though those things were clearly going on, it's clear, isn't it, that Asaph's view of things had become blown out of proportion. I mean, things don't always go well for the wicked. They don't always have it easy. The hard times do come to them, but it's as if Asaph's been blinded to that almost, isn't he? And all he can seem to see now is everything that's going well for them and everything that's bad for him. And I mean, it's easy to become like that. It's easy, isn't it? As you're looking around, all you can see is all the good things that are going on in the godless people around you's lives. And all you can see in your own life is the troubles and the trials and the difficulties. I mean, that is one of the dangers, isn't it, of things like Facebook and social media. I mean, you mentioned one book this morning. And I mean, very often you get a false view of people's lives, don't you? People post all the exciting things, don't they? And make their lives full of excitement and full of parties and another success and another wonderful thing that their child has just achieved. And up it goes on Facebook. and it can give a very false impression. I know people who, if you look at their Facebook account, it looks like their life's full of excitement and everything's wonderful and it's one long party and yet I happen to know that their marriage is falling apart and they're desperately lonely and it's not like that at all. But that's one of the dangers, isn't it, of that? And we can get into that frame of mind where all we can see is everything, everyone out there seems so exciting, and here's my little life, and it's all hard and difficult. So I wonder, have we lost perspective? It's often what leads to people giving up. So there's a struggle in ASAFs. Again, I'm thankful the Bible doesn't try and cover up those things, doesn't pretend that Christians don't have such thought. The Lord's not embarrassed, you know, that Asaph's thought in such ways and let's tuck that away. No, he wants us to know, he wants us to read this today and understand those things happen. You've got to face this. How are you going to deal with it? Okay, the second heading then, a moment that makes the difference. Clearly Asaph's in a... Well, he's in a bit of a mess, and he knows, doesn't he? He's in agony. I mean, to be fair to him, beforehand, he's not going around spouting this out, is he? He says in verse 15, if I had said I will speak thus, behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of your children. So he knows that if he just goes around, this is not, what he wants to say is, verse one, truly, God is good to Israel, for such is a pure in heart. But he's wrestling, he's in a difficult place. He's in turmoil actually, he says in verse 16, look, when I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me. It was just too much to deal with. The ESV has it, it seemed to me a wearisome task. It's almost like too, I can't cope with this. Even with thinking about it, trying to work it out. Again, I think we should be thankful the Bible, actually brings up these battles, brings up these difficult questions and circumstances, these times when the wicked seem to have it easy and the righteous do seem to struggle. There are times that happens when everything seems upside down and you can't understand God's ways. Okay, so what's the moment that makes the difference? What helps Asaph? What is it that changes you? I mean, there is an amazing change, isn't there? I mean, look at verse 13. Surely I've cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocence. And then you go down to verse 25. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there's none on earth that I desire beside you. That's an amazing change, isn't it? What a wonderful change. What's made the difference? What's happened? Have all his problems gone? Have all the wicked suddenly lost everything? Have all their houses suddenly been struck with lightning and somebody's able to go, praise the Lord? No, it's not what's happened, is it? His troubles haven't gone away. It's not a change in circumstances that happens, it's a change in perspective. He regains, doesn't he, an eternal spiritual perspective. It's verse 17, isn't it? One day, in the midst of all his struggles and in the midst of all his turmoil, he goes to the sanctuary, he goes to God's house, the tabernacle, he goes to the place of sacrifice and worship where the people of God gather together and his eyes are opened again. That's what happens. and quite clearly from the change that comes upon him it's not a sort of empty formal visit to the sanctuary but clearly God meets with him there and speaks to him there and deals with him there and his vision is refocused and instead of thinking of seeing everything just in terms of this life He begins to see from an eternal perspective, a spiritual perspective, a God perspective, we could say. Begins to walk by faith and not by sight again. You know, that's what tends to happen when you meet with the Lord. That's what tends to happen when God comes and meets with you. Things change. You get a fresh sense of eternal things and your vision's corrected. and you begin to see things in the right way. So Job was mentioned in the question time. In a sense that's what happens to Job in the midst of all his troubles. He doesn't immediately have all his His questions answered. He doesn't immediately have everything put right. What he has in Job is an encounter with God, isn't it? And he's faced in that second half of Job with a greatness and a glory and a majesty and the sovereignty of God's. And something similar has happened to Asaph as he goes to the sanctuary. So here's one answer to the question, what to do when you feel like giving up? Go to the sanctuary of God. Now this is why I stopped Pastor Jeremy in the question time because he was about to preach this part of my sermon. Go to the place where God meets with you. Go to the place where Jesus has promised where two or three are gathered in my name, there I will be in the midst. It reminds us, isn't it, of the importance of meeting together with the people of God, of gathering Sunday by Sunday and whenever we can with the people of God because it's so often where God meets with us and speaks to us and deals with us. And it's often the neglect of that which begins, isn't it, the process of falling away. I mean, we don't need to come twice on a Sunday. You know, I'm coming in the morning. I don't need it. I don't need to come back in the evening. The danger often is, and I think this is what Pastor Jeremy was gonna say, you know, often when people feel a bit low and struggling and finding life hard, they say, oh, I can't go to church today. It would be hypocritical to go, wouldn't it, if I feel like this. You know, when I'm feeling as I'm feeling, that is the very time you need to go, isn't it? It's the very time you need to be there. When you're struggling and you're low and you don't feel like going, it's the very time you need to be there. You need to be there. And often it's dangerous, isn't it? It's when people become envious of the world, impressed by the world, that they begin to think, I'd rather be out there on Sunday night than gather with that little group of rather odd people. Sorry, I'm not pointing at rather odd people. Let me move over there, rather odd people over there. But that's why the Lord in his wisdom has given us the Lord's day, isn't it? What a blessing it is that one day when we come and we gather with God's people and we come under the sound of the word together and we sing his praise and we're reminded again of eternal things and all that we have and all that's ours in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what we need, isn't it? That's one answer to the question, what to do when you feel like giving up. Oh, wait for Sunday to come and gather with God's people and come prayerfully and come looking to the Lord to help you and speak. There is something wonderfully unique and glorious. I've seen it from the pulpit. People who come low and troubled and broken and And you can see the word of God deal with them and strengthen them and encourage them. And they sing the opening hymn like this. And the final hymn there, you can see the change. I mean, obviously it doesn't always happen like that, but you can see the blessing that coming to the Lord's day. What do we want when we gather with God's people? We want an encounter with God, don't we? We want to meet. It's a blessing to meet together, but together we want to meet with the living Gods. And we need to understand that, again, Pastor Jeremy hinted at this in that question time, it's not just about coming to church. A sanctuary, we can apply it to the people of God, the gathering of the people of God, but we want to apply it also to Jesus Christ, don't we? He's the temple, He's the sacrifice. He's the one through whom we know God and meet with God's. And so when we come, what do we need? We need to meet with Jesus Christ, we need to see him, we need him preached, don't we, in all his majesty and glory and sufficiency so that we'll realise all that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. So we have the struggle. in Asaph's life, and then we have the moment that made the difference, and then we have the understanding that changed everything. The understanding that changed everything. What does he now understand? He meets with God, and his vision is again turned to eternal things, and he says, doesn't he, in verse 17, until I went to the sanctuary of God, then I understood their end, he says. Then I understood their end. So as we said, he stopped thinking just in terms of the here and now, and as he does that, he stops being envious of the wicked, doesn't he? Suddenly he sees their end, he sees what they're heading for, he sees how fragile and fleeting all those things that they're living for are, he sees how they can be gone in a moment. Let me read verse 18 to 20. What a solemn thing, isn't it? There's that rich, foolish farmer that Jesus spoke of, building his barns and filling them, and take your ease, eat, drink and be merry. And then God says to him, you fool, this night your soul will be required of you. That's the word around us, isn't it? That's the world that we're tempted to be envious of, that's so fragile and fleeting. I mean, Asaph's embarrassed, isn't he? I think that's what he's saying in verse 21 and 22. My heart was grieved. I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant. I was like a beast before you. Whatever was I thinking? Actually, I wasn't thinking. I'm embarrassed. I was a fool. But he sees their ends. And not only does this meeting with God remind Asaph of the perilous uncertain position of the wicked, but it also, wonderfully, reminds him of his own secure and glorious position, doesn't it? You know, no matter what's happened to him, what he goes through, he's safe and secure. The Lord is with him. And it's not simply that he's desperately clinging on to the law, but the Lord has got hold of him. Look at verse 23. You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. The Lord had hold of him. The Lord was guiding him, keeping him, and would lead him to glory. It's a wonderful picture. In the midst of all his struggles and battles, where his feet have nearly slipped, the Lord's got hold of him. The Lord's keeping him. The Lord was bringing him, leading him to glory. So our getting to glory isn't ultimately down to us, it's the Lord who's got hold of us, the Lord who's guiding us. We can be confident that he who begun a good work in us. will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. It's a wonderful way to speak of heaven. I love that way, glory. We say that, don't we? Someone, a believer dies, they've gone to glory. They've gone to glory. Well, we'll see the glory of God and share in the glory of God. No more sin, no more... No more shame, no more sadness. We'll soon be there in glory, won't we? Soon be there. The sufferings of this time, as Paul says, are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. What do we need when we feel like giving up? What do we need when we feel like it's all too much? We need a little glimpse of glory. We need a fresh vision of what's ahead of us, what our hope is. Do you do that when you book to holiday? I mean, perhaps you book the holiday months in advance or even the year before if you're really organised. And it's then in the distance, isn't it, ahead next year. And what do you do in those dark winter months every now and again? Well, I do this anyway. Perhaps you're too holy. But, you know, I go on their website again and have another little look at the pictures. We're going to be there next year. It's great. Look at that sea. Of course, they don't show you the sand flies and all the jellyfish and stuff like that. It's going to ruin it when you actually get there. You do that to get you through the winter months. Yeah, we're going to be there. We need to do that with heaven, don't we? With glory. There's not going to be any sand flies and jellyfish. It's going to be far greater than we could ever possibly imagine, isn't it? And we need to remind ourselves of it. And in a sense, every Lord's Day is a little glimpse of it, isn't it? When we gather with the people of God and we have a foretaste of heaven. So are your feet nearly, are you tempted by the world around you? Are you struggling? Are you thinking like giving up? I mean, somebody could be here this afternoon and be like that. Well, what do you need? You need a fresh glimpse of glory, of your hope, of what's before you. And now he's brought to that point, isn't he, where he can say in verse 25, wow, this is amazing. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside you. He's brought up where we can see there's no one in heaven or on earth that I want. There's nothing and no one I want now, Lord, more than you. What a blessed, glorious position to be in. He's seen the vanity of the things of this world. He's been brought to see afresh that those things can't satisfy. And he realizes that he's got the greatest gift of all. He's got the Lord himself. As I said, his circumstances haven't changed. the wicked are still prospering, he's still struggling away, but he's realised, well, but I've got the greatest thing, I've got the most precious thing, I've got the pearl of great price, I've got the Lord himself. Whom have I in heaven but you? I mean that's an interesting expression isn't it? I mean heaven's an exciting place and Book of Revelation, there's angels and there's archangels and there's 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands of thousands. I'm sure we're gonna look forward to seeing some of those. People, aren't we? The Bible characters. We can ask Asaph if it's Asaph or Asaph. And there are loved ones who've gone before us. And we look forward to that. And there's nothing wrong with looking forward to that. I mean, that's part of the joy of glory, isn't it? That we'll be there together and we'll be reunited and we'll be rejoicing together. But, of course, all those things pale into insignificance, don't they, compared to seeing Jesus. our glorious saviour and being in his presence and being made like him. So, I mean, that's a challenge, isn't it? Whom have I in heaven but you? And then it gets even more challenging. And there's none upon earth that I desire beside you. I said this morning that the Psalms are encouraging, but they are challenging, aren't they? They face us with a hunger for God and desire for God that sometimes exposes us. But what amazing position, what amazing change from being envious of the world and all that they have to now saying, I've got everything I need in Jesus Christ. That's really what he's saying, isn't he? There's none upon it, there's nothing on earth that I desire besides you. This is where he's come to, where he realises that far from being envious of the wicked, he feels sorry for them, they haven't got the Lord. They don't know Jesus Christ, they've got no rock, they've got no foundation, they've got no hope. The New Testament equivalent really is Paul, isn't it, in Philippians. I count all things lost compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ. I have him, and you could take everything else away, but you can't take Jesus away. I'll give up everything else, but I must have Jesus, Jesus Christ. Again, that's a challenge, isn't it? Is that me? Is that where I'm at? And then there's the joy of being able to go on and say, in verse 26, my flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Yes, I am weak, I am frail, I do mess up, I do stumble, but God is the strength of my heart. God strengthens me. and he's my portion for it. Actually, the word strength there is literally the word for rock. It's the same word in Psalm 61, lead me to the rock that's higher than I. He's a God, again, who's there, and he's sure, and he's stable, and he's steadfast, and we can trust him, and he's just there for us in the midst of it all. Well, if you're not a Christian, all you can say is the first part of verse 26, isn't it? My flesh and my heart fail, you've got nothing to say after that. How can we be envious of people for whom that's true? We should long for them to find more than that, but you've got nothing more to say, have you? My flesh and my heart fail. That's it. But praise the Lord, we can say, my flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart. And my portion forever, my inheritance, it comes from that Old Testament picture again of the inheritance of your part in the inheritance. And what's Asaph saying? God is my inheritance. I'm going to be with Him, I'm going to be with Christ, which is far, far better. And then we have those words in verse 27 and 28 which Again, that contrast that you often find in the Psalms. It's there in Psalm 1, isn't it? The wicked are not so. You've got the contrast. For indeed, those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who desert you for harlotry. That's the wicked. The just judgment of God is coming. And then he says, but what a wonderful way to finish, isn't it? This is where he's come to. This is what meeting with the Lord and entering the sanctuary has brought him to. It is good for me to draw near to God. I've put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all your works. The man who'd been tempted to say it's all in vain is now saying, This is what I want to know God, to draw near to him, it's good, I want to put my trust in him, I want to declare his works. I want to declare that truly God is good to Israel. He's a good God, you can trust him. So what do you need when you feel like giving up? Well, you need to come back to the sanctuary, come back to God, meet with him, gather with his people under his word, ask God to give you an eternal perspective to help you to see Him as your portion, to see how blessed you are to have Jesus Christ. That's a good way to end today. Let me remind you, if you're a believer here today, how blessed you are to have Jesus Christ, to know Him, to have a hope of heaven, to have a heavenly Father you can trust in. You are rich beyond measure, blessed beyond measure. and soon we'll be there in glory and this world will be done and all the troubles will be over and we'll give glory and honour to the one who kept us and watched over us. What to do when you feel overwhelmed? What to do when you feel like giving up? Look to Jesus Christ, look to him and him alone. Let's pray. Lord, our God, again, we thank you for your words. Oh, write it on our hearts, give us faith, help us to believe it, to rejoice in it, to know that you are our God and that to have Jesus Christ, to know him, is more wonderful than anything else that this world could offer us. Lord, we ask you to forgive us for those times when we've dug ourselves broken cisterns that can really hold no water. when in Jesus Christ we have that fountain of living water. Or may we run to the fountain again and feed our souls and be satisfied in Jesus Christ. Lord, watch over us, bless us. May you know what you have in store for us, Lord, and in our joys and in our sorrows, help us, we pray, to make you our portion. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.