Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- We will be looking at someone who went through tremendous doubt
- Does that sound familiar to you?
- It has been a struggle through lockdown
- The fear of contracting covid and its consequences
- Imposition of laws
- War and conflict in Ukraine
- These things can come upon pus and challenge our confidence in God
- Such was the situation in Psalm 73
- He was overwhelmed as he looked around himself
- This psalm is a confirmation that there will be difficult times in the life of a believer
- Difficult periods can strengthen us
- Example of washing powder
- The psalmist has confidence in God - v1,28
- There are two main points:
- The right place to doubt (v2-16)
- Finding the right answers (v17ff)
The right place to doubt (v2-16)
- Doubt is real - this was a time of tremendous struggle for the psalmist
- Envy of those around him who were prospering (v3)
- Those who rejected God had brilliant lives
- He was grieved (v21)
- The psalmist struggled with the thought that those who were not following God had a better life
- He looks out at the external world and almost finds his life with God meaningless (v13)
- He sees surface details and sees nothing wrong (v4-5)
- He sees those who have plenty (v7)
- He looked around and saw confusion
- He looks inside himself
- The world tells us if we want answers we need to look inside ourselves
- Jeremiah tells us the heart is deceitfully wicked
- He became like a beast before God, forgetting who he was (v21-22)
- Explanation of persuasive individualism
- It was not until he looked up - that he found truth (v17)
- Only when he went into the sanctuary of God
- It was not until he drew near to God that he found truth
- God accepts doubters and draws them into truth
- The psalmist does not find truth until he engages with God in personal prayer
- We need to be gracious with those who are going through doubt/struggle
- Job 6:26
- Don't jump on every word that is said - it is wind, let them blow
Finding the right answers (v17ff)
- God's covenant love for His people (v23)
- God is holding the psalmist's hand
- Even though the psalmist is struggling - God is holding him
- We will never be separated from His love
- Quote from song
- If you struggle with doubt - Satan will remind us of our guilt and weakness
- We know that God's covenant love has covered us with forgiveness and grace
- Quote from 'Before the Throne of God above'
- A true perspective (v17)
- Before coming into the temple - the psalmist has been looking at the world around, now he looked up to God
- The utter fragility of life (v18)
- Two certainties - taxes and death
- We must live in the reality of this (Psalm 90)
- Reading v18-20
- The person who lives only for this world will lose everything
- The future of the believer (v24)
- All this world and glory to come
- 1 Peter 1:3-6
- Wise and mature Christian's think
- God is his portion (v26)