What Did the Psalmist Perceive in Psalm 73?

    In Psalm 73 the psalmist is considering why the wicked seem to prosper and the godly suffer.  That looks a bit backwards, doesn't it?  But many times that's how it goes. And I'm sure the psalmist wasn't the only one who asked this question because I know I have!  The more he thought about a situation, the more it perplexed him, and it almost stumbled his faith.  

For I was envious of the arrogant,/When I saw the prosperity of the wicked./....When I considered this in order to understand it,/ It was a troublesome task in my sight,/ Until I went into the sanctuary of God;/ Then I perceived their end. Psalm 73:3, 16-17
 

    It's a good thing that the psalmist didn't let his confusion and maybe even bitterness keep him from going to God's sanctuary. In chapter 30 Witness Lee states that for us New Testament believers God's sanctuary is not only our spirit where He lives but also the church, God's house. Witness Lee explains that when the psalmist finally got to the sanctuary, he had a whole different view of what was happening.  

     More than the psalmist seeing that God does eventually even out the score, he realized that God was really his heart's unique goal. That is really touching. The end of this psalm is so beautiful.   My heart is encouraged by this part on page 355 in chapter 30 of the Life-Study of Psalms:

"Whom do I have in heaven but  you?/ And besides You there is nothing I desire on earth" (v. 25). This verse reveals that God's pure seeker would have God as his only possession in heaven and his unique desire on earth. God was the psalmist's unique goal. The psalmist did not care for anything except God and gaining Him.... Psalm 73 ends with these words: "My flesh and my heart fails,/But God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever" (v. 26)  Here we have the answer to the psalmist's question. The one who does not care for God may gain many things and seem to prosper. However, the one who cares for God will be restricted by God and even stripped by God of many things. As we will see in the upcoming Life-Study of Job, this is what happened to Job" (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Psalms. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1993, Print).

     You may have to read those last lines a few times like I did.  It may be hard to wrap your head around this fact that God allows heart-rending losses to occur so that we can really know and experience the grace of Christ. I've found out that it can be a bumpy journey sometimes, even scary and painful at times.  Even when I feel like a wreck  I know I just need to get one-on-one with God or get with another believer and pray.  During those times I just want to hear God speak to me!  So make the decision ahead of time that no matter what happens to you, you're going to keep talking to God and getting together His people!

Here's a beautiful song based on Psalm 73 it's called There are Times. 

 You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Studies of Psalms on Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Study of Psalms and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.


Others Posts on the Life-Study of Psalms:

What is the Focus of the Psalms?
How Does Psalm 8 Show Us God's Purpose in Creating Man?
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 1 of 2
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 2 of 2
Why is God's House Important in Psalms 25 -41?
Seeing the Divine Romance in Psalm 45
What Did the Psalmist Perceive in Psalm 73?
What are the Highways to Zion in Psalm 84?
Why Did the Psalmist Delight in God's Law in Psalm 119?

Harvest Apple tarts

I'm running out of ideas for apples.  I saw these apple tarts in a grocery store, and it gave me an idea. So a few weeks ago one of my granddaughters and I made them!  I've never made this before, so it was a lot of fun to do this together! 

 

These tars are a combination of two different recipes from my church cookbook.  The one in the store had a few craisins, and it gave it a colorful touch.  I realized as I was making these that tarts are a nice way to cut half the carbs and fat because they don't need a top crust. Each single pie crust makes 6.  These tarts were so good with ice cream!

 

 

 Mini Harvest Apple Tarts - Made Gluten Free

 For 6-8

 1.  Prepare apples:

(1)  Dice 4 cups of apples. 

(2)  Mix with about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1  tsp. cinnamon, and 1/4 cup tapioca starch, and 1-2 tsp. of vanilla (I got this from a website).
(3)  Optional: You can add a few tablespoons of craisins to this mixture.
(4)  Note:   I put this on the stove for about 10 minutes to partially cook it. Stir continuously so it doesn't stick.

 

 2.  Prepare tart crust - In a medium-sized bowl put:
(1)  1 1/4 cups of gluten free flour- I used 1/4 cup each of brown rice flour, sorghum, tapioca, coconut, and fava flours. Stir in 1/4 tsp. salt.
(2)  Cut 1/2 cup of butter into the flour until it resembles peas.
(3)  Add 2+ T of ice cold water and use a fork to combine. I needed to use 4 T of water.
(4)  Form into a ball and roll out into a circle.  Then use a 3 1/2"  bowl to cut out the tart shells.

3. Prepare tarts:
(1)  Put tart shells onto a baking sheet or parchment paper.
(2)  Add enough pie filling to go about 1/2 to 1" of the edges--about 2-3 tablespoons. Then fold up the edges slightly, leaving the center of the tart open. 
(3)  You can brush this with a beaten egg if you like to do that.

4.  Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until golden.

 Crisps & Pies:
Lena's Rhubarb Crunch (A crisp with a gluten free top and bottom crust!) (My daughter-in-law's mother. She's an amazing cook, which I think most of us moms become after a few years!)
Delicious Gluten Free Apple Crisp    (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Ginger's Outrageous Apple Pie    (From a church friend)
The BEST Lemon Meringue Pie
My Grandmother's Favorite Banana Cream Pie  (A recipe from my grandmother)
Granny's Lemon Cheesecake Squares   (From my friend Judi's granny)
Simple & Gluten Free Chocolate Cream Pie   (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Judi's No Fail Gluten Free Pie Crust    (From my friend Judi)

Seeing the Divine Romance in Psalm 45

     Seeing that there's a divine romance in the Bible has changed the way I understand it.  It's like there's a thread running through all the 66 books, sometimes it's hidden and sometimes it's obvious.  In the Life-Study on Psalm 45 Witness Lee said it's the highest and greatest of all the psalms because it shows God's intention to gain His believers as His bride. Underneath Psalm 45 is the psalmist's note that it's a Maschil, a song of love. In a footnote on this verse from my Recovery Version of the Bible it says the Hebrew word here is feminine indicating that the love here is between a male and a female.

 

   So as I read this outstanding exposition on this psalm, I saw that all the beautiful imagery here portrays what Witness Lee called the divine romance between God and His people. There's a lot of parts to this psalm and lots of details were brought up in the Life-Study, but what touched me the most was his speaking about the importance of our having a loving relationship with the Lord on pages 250-251 in chapter 21:

 

"Our love for the Lord Jesus should be a love full of affection....According to Psalm 45, we all need to have a pure life with an affectionate love for the Lord.  John Nelson Darby, who lived to be 84 and never married, had such a love full of affection.  One night in his old age, he was staying alone in a hotel, and at bedtime he said, 'Lord, I still love You.' When I read this, I was deeply touched, desiring to have an affectionate love for the Lord Jesus.  Now I can testify that, as an elderly person, I love Him much more than I did when I was young. Recently I had a time of intimate, affectionate prayer to the Lord regarding a certain matter, and in my prayer, I told Him, 'Lord Jesus, I love You.' As I was praying, I fell in love with the Lord Jesus once again"  (Lee. Witness. Life-Study of Psalms. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1993, Print).

This word about John Nelson Darby has always touched me.  I appreciate how Brother Lee's writings draw me to seek and love the Lord more.

 

Let us rejoice and exult and let us give the glory to Him

 for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

 and His wife has made herself ready.  Revelation 19:7 

Other Posts on Men/Women From Church History:

G. H. Pember - Why are There Two Trees in Genesis 2 Anyway?
On George Mueller  - From the Life-Study of Philippians - What's the Theme of the Bible?   
On Martin Luther, Johann Guttenberg, Moravian Brethren,Watchman Nee -  Why Did God Abolish the Ordinances in Ephesians 2:15?
On Watchman Nee & Witness Lee -  What is the Mystery of Christ in Ephesians 5:32?  
On M.E. Barber  - What Does God's Salvation in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 Accomplish in New Believers?
On John Newton - God's Love in 1 John 4 Seen in the Life of John Newton
On the Apostle John  - Touching Account From Church History on the Apostle John




Others Posts on the Life-Study of Psalms:

What is the Focus of the Psalms?
How Does Psalm 8 Show Us God's Purpose in Creating Man?
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 1 of 2
Taking a Closer Look at Psalm 23 - Part 2 of 2
Why is God's House Important in Psalms 25 -41?
Seeing the Divine Romance in Psalm 45
What Did the Psalmist Perceive in Psalm 73?
What are the Highways to Zion in Psalm 84?

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