Prayer - Sanctuary Meditations

 Surely, Heavenly Father, You are good to Your chosen sons and daughters, through Jesus.  These children who have become "pure in heart" through their justification through faith.  You have made them righteous.

You may sense a "but" coming.  There are times when we, Your children, who do, through the Holy Spirit's transforming work in them, seem to suffer a plethora of things:  sickness; tragedy and so on, in their lives.  By contrast, those who are arrogant and even shake their fists at You and declare there is no God, or even dare You to strike them dead on the spot, IF you exist; they go on their merry way and appear to prosper in all areas of their lives.

This often makes Your children wonder if they have chosen the wrong way.  Thankfully, Asaph, in Psalm 73, gives us hope and direction.  He experienced similar doubts but then he entered into Your sanctuary and spent time in Your presence.

He pondered and meditated upon the latter end of the arrogant and wicked compared to the righteous who followed Your will and ways.  The former group were on "slippery ground" headed for ruin and destruction in their end; sadly and suddenly destroyed.

Asaph then turned to the blessings he did have when he was "near You" and pleasing You with walking in Your ways.  You "held him by his right hand;" You "guided him with Your counsel" and then You would "take him to glory" (vs 23, 24).

He valued being with and near You and having a relationship with you, Father God, Who was his "strength of heart" (vs 26).  This is still our "answer" to those doubts, today because "afterward,  You will take us to glory...forever" (vs24, 26 NIV).

We pause.  We consider.

We too can look at these two "final destinies".  Asaph made a determined choice then, that was rooted in his sanctuary meditations' conclusions of You.

He declared,

"It is good to be near God..."

and, here's his conscious decision,

"I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds" (vs 28 NIV).

So, no matter the trials, troubles, tribulations or calamities he endured on earth, even though he served God in leading the Israelites in worshiping You, their Yahweh, and kept his heart pure, he would continue to be faithful to You and not let his feet slide down the slippery slope to the ruin of selling his soul to some other 'bidder' no matter how good the 'bargain' looked.

Father God, thank-You for the free will you gave to Your children to choose similarly; to choose You!  To make You our refuge because we know it is "good to be near You;" because we want to be near You; because we believe there is "NO ONE ELSE in Heaven or Earth besides You" (vs 25, emphasis mine), in Whom to put our trust; in Whom to shelter, to be guided and strengthened in heart by, besides You.  We too, will tell of all Your wondrous deeds in our lives.

Thank-You once again.  In Jesus Name we keep our hearts pure with Holy Spirit help because we want to see You in Your sanctuary.  In Jesus Name we praise and pray and give You thanks.

                                                          ~ERC  February 2021~

Based on Psalm 73:1-28 NIV

See also Matthew 5:8

Sing, There's No Other Name (Francesca Battistelli/Starlight)