June 16, 2021
Author: Pastor Gordon Cook
June 16, 2021
"For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked."
Psalm 73:3,
This
is a psalm about a man who is suffering. When we suffer there is always
the temptation that we focus on those who are not suffering like we
are. You can begin to question God’s wisdom and God’s goodness. That’s what happens here to Asaph, he was the choir director but he observes that a lot of people are not suffering like he is. They have an easier life and he falls into the envy trap. Envy has him violating the two greatest commandments; the
commandment to love God and the commandment to love your neighbor. The
worst thing about envy is that it makes it impossible to love God and
worship God the way we should worship God. Asaph has had some problems with his relationship with God but he gets himself back on track here and gets his eyes back on God. He realizes that God is his greatest
treasure and greatest pleasure. Notice what he says in verse 25, “Whom
have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire
besides you.”
A.W. Tozer was considered to be the 20th century prophet in his lifetime. Tozer stressed the importance of knowing God and having a passionate hunger for God. Here are some of the titles of the books that Tozer wrote: The Pursuit of God, The Knowledge of the Holy, The Presence of God, Delighting in God, and Communing with God. What Tozer might be most remembered for in terms of a particular quote
is, “What comes to our mind when we think about God is the most
important thing about us.”
That’s
a good question to ask ourselves from time to time. When you hear the
word God, what comes to mind? Tozer also said, “If you and I are going
to develop a hunger, a passion for God like Asaph who could say, “Whom
have I in heaven but Thee?” these two things must be regular in your life. Tozer said, “To have right
thoughts about God requires much prayer and you need to be reading your
Bible often and reverently.” Those two things could be described as
talking to God and listening to God. Although that sounds pretty simple
we all know there is a struggle there. The devil certainly doesn’t want
us communing, fellowshipping with God, or having right thoughts about God.
Tozer
said this as well, "If you examined the holy men and women of the past,
you will soon see or feel the heat of their desire after God.” Think of
the psalmists. Here are a couple of quotes from our Bible with regard to this very thing, from men who obviously hungered and thirsted for God;
Psalm 42:1, “As a deer pants for the flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.”
Psalm 63:1, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirst for you.”
Philippians 3:8, “Indeed,
I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all
things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” Paul goes on to say, “So that I may know him
and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death.”
One final quote by Tozer, “O God, I have tasted thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. Oh God, the triune God I want to want thee. I thirst to be made more thirsty still, show me your glory.”
We
should pray that we would grow in our knowledge of God and that he
would show us more of his glory, of his beauty. When we read our Bibles
that would be our request, “Show me your glory.” When we come into his special presence by prayer, “Show me your beauty and your glory.”
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