“until I went into the sanctuary of God . . . .”
Psalm 73:17
My Beloved Ones in Christ Jesus,
They say that ‘What you see is what you get.’ You’ve heard it more times than you can count. But I would like to suggest that this little, wildly popular maxim is terribly insufficient for those who know our Savior and Lord. The fact is, what you ‘see’ isn’t always what’s actually there before you.
I once heard about a man who lived in a third floor apartment in the heart of a big city. One beautiful spring day, he opened his widow overlooking the street below, spied a young couple sitting at a table on the sidewalk, drawn in very close together, and deeply involved in an intimate conversation. As he looked down upon the two love-birds, he admired such a public display of obvious affection. He thought to himself, ‘Oh, to be young again, madly in love, and unashamed!’
A bit later, he made his way down to the lobby as he headed off to run errands, exited his building, and began to walk toward the couple. As he passed by he overheard their conversation. They were discussing the terms of their divorce! And the table and the chairs they were sitting in had come from their apartment, along with other items of furniture. All that they once shared was stationed there on the sidewalk awaiting the arrival of two moving vans that would take away their respective belongings! What you ‘see’ isn’t always what’s actually there!
In Psalm 73, this very thing happened to Asaph, the author of these inspired words. Long ago he looked around at his world and then contemplated the fate of his people Israel. What he ‘saw’ was a world that hated the Covenant people. And the enemies of Israel, and of Israel’s God, looked as if they were prospering in every way, living happily, enjoying the rich bounty of earthly treasures, and seemingly getting away with their evil behavior without any consequences whatsoever (73:2-9). Understandably, what Asaph ‘saw’ deeply disturbed him (73:2, 13-14, 16).
I suspect that you can appreciate the pains that Asaph endured at that moment. I would even go further and suggest that we share his consternation this very morning! We all wonder secretly, if not aloud, ‘Is the Lord really in charge? Will He vindicate us? Have we believed and suffered for nothing? Is the Lord even aware of our struggles and adversities?’
Well, in Asaph’s case there is much more to his story than simply his sense of being abandoned and the bitterness that this birthed in his heart (73:21). He would soon learn that what he ‘saw’ when he looked around at his world was not really the truth! The change in his soul that he documents in this Psalm is remarkable, to say the least! The second half of the Psalm is nothing less than a triumphant confession of faith in the God of Israel (73:25-28).
So what happened to Asaph? How did his outlook change so radically? How did he go from terrible despair to bold praise?
In 73:17 we find the answer.
He made a trip! He arose from his place of despair, pain, and troubling questions about the Lord, and came to the place of worship, corporate worship, the “sanctuary of God.” There in that sacred space, he and his Brother-Israelites encountered the God who lives and reigns over all. He listened as the Word of the Lord was read aloud and explained, he joined in the songs of corporate praise, he shared in the congregational prayers and the confessions of faith, and he reaffirmed his personal commitment in His Redeemer. And when he did this, he saw the real truth about the world and about himself and his people! His eyes were then opened. His soul was renewed. His perspective on life, and upon the events of his world, was completely transformed! He then “discerned” something that he had missed (73:17), namely the truth about his enemies:
“then I discerned their end. Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. 19 How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! 20 Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.”
No doubt about it! When we ‘look’ out to the world around us, despair might surely overwhelm us. Perhaps this morning you are ‘looking’ at your life and personal circumstances, and what you ‘see’ is painful, frightening, and even debilitating. But may I suggest that what we initially assume to be the truth might well be an illusion. And the way to see through our situation is to come together “into the sanctuary of God.”
When we worship together on the Lord’s Day, one of the amazing things that should and will happen is that we will gain perspective. As did Asaph of old, we too will “perceive” (NASB) what really is! Our outlook will change! Our hearts will be renewed! Our souls will find rest! Our despair will evaporate. And we will be empowered for another week to serve our King faithfully and boldly! It’s like each Sunday we get a brand new pair of glasses! No scratches, no out-of-date prescriptions, no blurred lines between the truth and the devil’s lies. Just renewed vision! The miracle of sight that happens only in corporate worship is of infinitely more value than a thousand Christian podcasts, videos, devotionals, or personal quite times, as wonderful and beneficial as these blessings can be. There is simply no substitute for the assembly of the redeemed before the One who shed His Son’s blood for them!
In just six days we will meet again together in “the sanctuary of God.” In the meantime, don’t be fooled by what you ‘see.’ Remember that with the Lord, what you see isn’t necessarily what you get. Come expecting to receive a gracious adjustment from the very One who gave sight to the blind! Let the Divine Eye Doctor give you a new outlook on life!
You are my joy, my treasure, my beloved in Christ! I love you all, always!
Mike
PS: Next up Psalm 84