May 16
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PSALM 73 GOD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY HEART
20 Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21 When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart,
22 I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works. – Psalm 73:20-28
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THOSE WHO ARE UNFAITHFUL SHALL PERISH by ILMA
O Lord you are so faithful and continue to hold me close
You constantly guide those who lovingly serve you
Without your counsel, I will not understand things
The wicked continue to attack and wallow in sin
Let me stand on your promise of deliverance
Keep my eyes focused on your steadfast love
You are faithful to give protection to your children
The enemy seems to flourish with their wickedness
Lord, I plead you to protect and deliver your people
Let the unfaithful perish and stop all their schemes
Put an end to all those who do not serve and believe
I am grateful for your promises and I humbly receive.
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REFLECTION
• What should we do whenever we are almost feeling defeated by the enemy’s attacks?
Tag Archives: PSALM 73
PSALM 73 UNTIL I WENT TO GOD’S SANCTUARY
May 15
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PSALM 73 UNTIL I WENT TO GOD’S SANCTUARY
13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I have been stricken
and rebuked every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
16 But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.
18 Truly you set them in slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors! – Psalm 73:13-19
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DISCERNMENT COMES ONLY FROM GOD by ILMA
When you seek the Lord your God, your view changes
You begin to discern things you never used to see before
The world dictates different standards and priorities
Through the Word, we can observe what belongs to worldly systems
Do not be envious of those who live following this world
Be transformed by the renewal of your mind through God’s word.
All you people of God, set your mind on heavenly things
Gather riches in heaven so you can overcome sin
Feed on the Word constantly and discern what is good and evil
It is the only way we can align our hearts with God and beat the devil
Wear the armor of God so you can fight all the tactics of the enemy
Discernment comes only from the Lord; run to God’s sanctuary.
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REFLECTION
• Why is discernment only possible when we feed on God’s word?
• How can we grow the gift of discernment in our lives as believers?
PSALM 73 THE WICKED IS ALWAYS AT EASE
May 14
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PSALM 73 THE WICKED IS ALWAYS AT EASE
Truly God is good to Israel, to those who 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 arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment.
7 Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth.
10 Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them.
11 And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. – Psalm 73:1-12
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ON THE FATE OF THE WICKED AND THE PURE IN HEART by ILMA
The Lord is good and blesses those who are pure in heart
He also makes the sun rise on both the evil and the upright
The Lord also sends rain both on the just and the unjust
But he blesses the meek for they will inherit the earth.
It may seem that the wicked are enjoying their lives
But they will account for every word that they speak
Their homes may be full of riches and wealth
But their spirits may be suffering and in ill health.
The pure in heart may not have any comforts in this world
They have the fruits of the Spirit and have God’s word
So, do not envy the wicked who are seemingly wealthy
They are lacking in riches that are required to enter heaven.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think Asaph seemed to be envious of the wealth and health of the wicked in the following passages?
• What do you think is going on in your heart if you have this kind of envy towards the comforts and riches of the unrighteous?