Live With The End In View

What really matters in life is not how we start but how we continue and how we finish.

It is very easy to start well, lose our focus and passion, get off track and never make it to the finishing line.

Without proper encouragement, inspiration and motivation, it can be very tough to carry on. Without the finishing line in view, it can be difficult to continue, to do our best, and not to give up! It is also easy to get frustrated and disappointed with ourselves, others and also God!

Psalm 73
A Psalm Of Asaph.
1 Truly God is good to Israel,
To such as are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no pangs in their death,
But their strength is firm.
5 They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them like a garment.
7 Their eyes bulge with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
8 They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
They speak loftily.
9 They set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.
10 Therefore his people return here,
And waters of a full cup are drained by them.
11 And they say, “How does God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase in riches.
13 Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought how to understand this,
It was too painful for me—
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end.
18 Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awakes,
So, Lord, when You awake,
You shall despise their image.
21 Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was vexed in my mind.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish;
You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
That I may declare all Your works.

Is it worthwhile to live by faith before a living God? Psalm 73 described the experience of a godly man Asaph who struggled as he walked with God along the paths of life.

Who was Asaph? He was one of the Levites and worship leaders that King David had appointed to lead choirs to sing praises to God in the Tabernacle after he had placed the Ark in it. When Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem, some of these Levites continued to minister unto the LORD there (1 Chronicles 6:31–39).

Besides being a skilful singer and psalmist, Asaph was also a seer or prophet.

2 Chronicles 29:30
Moreover King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Though Asaph was very gifted, he understood where his gifts came from. Thus he used his music to praise the LORD, and communicate His Word to His people.

Though Asaph was commissioned by David to be in charge of singing in the house of the LORD, he continued to do so when Solomon reigned in Israel. He was credited for doing the song service at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 5:12).

Having served as an officer within the religious system in the house of the LORD for many years, starting with King David and then serving King Solomon, Asaph had observed many things happening inside both the public and private sectors of that religious system.

During his long term of ministry in the house of the LORD, Asaph saw the best and worst of other officials serving in the Temple. His complaints against corruption among some of the rich and influential officials were recorded in Psalm 73.

Psalm 73 dealt with how the righteous are to respond to unrighteousness and wickedness within the ranks of wealth, power and influence even in the house of the LORD. Asaph had witnessed corruption, bribery and exploitation within those ranks and officials in the Temple who were abusing their powers, positions and privileges.

In this psalm, Asaph was sharing his misery by pouring his heartaches and pains before the LORD. He was deeply distressed and disturbed as he compared what was happening to those wicked people versus what was happening to him. He began to become envious of others, and of what they seemed to possess!

Though the wicked did not walk faithfully with God, they appeared to be very blessed. They were not only healthy and wealthy, but they seemed to have no problems at all, having no struggles or conflicts!

Trying to cope with these paradoxical thoughts, the psalmist became discouraged and depressed when he looked at the present state of things around him. At the present time, the worldly systems and ways in the house of the LORD seemed to be winning and prevailing. But, praise God, it was not the end. Not yet game over! The answer was not in the now but in the end! In verse 17, the psalmist went into the sanctuary of God, and he understood the end of the wicked and the ungodly.

As Asaph reflected on the divine nature of God, he came to the realization that even the powerful, evil and corrupted figures of authority would be judged by the LORD. And judgment would begin at the house of God.

1 Peter 4:17
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

In understanding their end, the psalmist began to gain a proper and correct perspective of life. Similarly for us, without understanding the end, it is also very easy to become disheartened and distracted as we seek to have a closer walk with Christ every day. That's why Paul told us not to lose heart or give up.

Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

If we lose sight of the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, we can become tired of doing what is right, get discouraged and give up. We must keep pressing toward the goal.

Philippians 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

When we forget the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, it is easy to get caught up with the world and the things in the world even in the house of the Lord.

1 John 2:15-17
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

The definition of success in the world is very different from the Lord’s. In the world, success is measured by material things, by power, by prestige, by position and by fame. When we use the same measuring yardstick of the world inside the house of the Lord, we will fall short of the glory of God! The more we compare, the more we will fall into unnecessary anguish, despair and desolation!

If we take our eyes off ourselves, our problems, our wants, and our lacks, and stop comparing with what others are having, we enter into His sanctuary, and begin to see differently! When we have Jesus, we have everything! Everything changes when we begin to have a shift in our perspective, and obtain a clearer vision of our goal in Christ!

When we turn our eyes upon Jesus and look full in His wonderful face, the things of the earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. By looking upwards, Christ then becomes our focal point and the goal of our life! We begin to understand the end, and stop complaining about the now! We will understand what is truly of value in eternity, and what is just fading and passing away.

Although it may look as if those people who do evil in the sight of God have it all, but they really don't. In fact, they have nothing that will last through life and beyond.

The psalmist Asaph began to realize that he had everything because he had God. He was lacking nothing because the LORD was His Shepherd, and would supply every one of his needs.

After pouring out his heartaches and pains before the LORD, Asaph was chastened and humbled. He repented for his complaints and grumblings, and began to sing a new song to the LORD.

Psalm 73:25-26
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Truly nothing in this life can compare to the Lord! Let us keep our eyes on Jesus and start living with the end in view! Let us draw closer to Him. Let us tell everyone about the wonderful things that the Lord has done for us! Let us remember to count our blessings, naming them one by one!

Written on: 16 May 2018