1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm 4 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: John Stangi, and today we're in Psalms seventy three and 5 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: seventy four, and we'll be reading from the New Living Translation. 6 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: Psalm seventy three, a psalm of Asath. Truly, God is 7 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 1: good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. But 8 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,160 Speaker 1: as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet 9 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 1: were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied 10 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 1: the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. 11 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: They seem to live such painless lives. Their bodies are 12 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: so healthy and strong. They don't have troubles like other people. 13 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: They're not plagued with problems like everyone else. They wear 14 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty. 15 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 1: These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for. 16 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:16,119 Speaker 1: They scoff and speak only evil. In their pride, they 17 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: seek to crush others. They boast against the very heavens, 18 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 1: and their words strut throughout the earth. And so the 19 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: people are dismayed and confused, drinking in all their words. 20 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,759 Speaker 1: What does God know? They ask? Does the most high 21 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: even know what's happening? Look at these wicked people enjoying 22 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: a life of ease while their riches multiply. Did I 23 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself 24 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all 25 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: day long. Every morning brings me pain. If I had 26 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: really spoken this way to others, I would have been 27 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: a traitor to your people. I tried to understand why 28 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: the wicked prosper, but what a difficult task it is. 29 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: Then I went into your sanctuary, Oh God, and I 30 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: finally understood the destiny of the wicked. Truly, you put 31 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: them on a slippery path and send them sliding over 32 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:22,239 Speaker 1: the cliff to destruction. In an instant, they are destroyed, 33 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: completely swept away by terrors. When you arise, oh Lord, 34 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 1: you will laugh at their silly ideas, as a person 35 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: laughs at dreams in the morning. Then I realized that 36 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 1: my heart was bitter and I was all torn up inside. 37 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: I was so foolish and ignorant. I must have seemed 38 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong 39 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 1: to you. You hold my right hand. You guide me 40 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom 41 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: have I in heaven? But you I desire you more 42 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 1: than anything on earth. My health may fail and my 43 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: spirit may grow weak. But God remains the strength of 44 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: my heart. He is mine forever. Those who desert him 45 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 1: will perish for you destroy those who abandon you. But 46 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,639 Speaker 1: as for me, how good it is to be near God. 47 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:22,800 Speaker 1: I have made the sovereign Lord my shelter, and I 48 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. Psalm 49 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: seventy four a psalm of asaf O God, Why have 50 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: you rejected us so long? Why is your anger so 51 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 1: intense against the sheep of your own pasture? Remember that 52 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: we are the people you chose long ago. The tribe 53 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: you redeemed is your own special possession. And remember Jerusalem, 54 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: your home here on earth. Walk through the awful ruins 55 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: of the city. See how the enemy has destroyed your sanctuary. 56 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: There your enemies shouted their victorious battle cries. There they 57 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 1: set up their battle standards. They swung their axes like 58 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: woodcutters in a forest. With axes and picks, they smashed 59 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: the carved paneling. They burned your sanctuary to the ground. 60 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 1: They defiled the place that bears your name. Then they thought, 61 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: let's destroy everything, so they burned down all the places 62 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: where God was worshiped. We no longer see your miraculous signs. 63 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: All the prophets are gone, and no one can tell 64 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: us when it will end. How long, oh God, will 65 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: you allow our enemies to insult you? Will you let 66 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 1: them dishonor your name forever? Why do you hold back 67 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: your strong right hand. Unleash your powerful fist and destroy them. You, 68 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:01,600 Speaker 1: o God, are my king from ages past, bringing salvation 69 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: to the earth. You split the sea by your strength 70 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 1: and smash the heads of the sea monsters. You crush 71 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: the heads of Leviathan and let the desert animals eat him. 72 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: You cause the springs and streams to gush forth, and 73 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 1: you dried up rivers that never run dry. Both day 74 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: and night belong to you. You made the starlight and 75 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 1: the sun. You set the boundaries of the earth, and 76 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: you made both summer and winter. See how these enemies 77 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: insult you, Lord. A foolish nation has dishonored your name. 78 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:42,839 Speaker 1: Don't let these wild beasts destroy your turtle doves. Don't 79 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: forget your suffering people forever. Remember your covenant promises, for 80 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: the land is full of darkness and violence. Don't let 81 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 1: the downtrodden be humiliated again. Instead, let the poor and 82 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: needy praise your name. Arise, oh God, and defend your cause. 83 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 1: Remember how these fools insult you all day long. Don't 84 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: overlook what your enemies have said, or they're growing uproar. 85 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: Let's pray. Lord. We thank you for your word, and 86 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: we thank you for the privilege to be able to 87 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,479 Speaker 1: look at it together today. And Lord, we're grateful for 88 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: these Psalms that you've allowed us to read together today. 89 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: And Lord, we're grateful that, just as the Psalmist implores 90 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: you to do that, you remember your covenant promises. And Lord, 91 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,479 Speaker 1: when we look in the Book of Jeremiah, just a 92 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: few books away from the Book of Psalms, we see 93 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: that you promised you were going to usher in a 94 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: new covenant, and you've done that through your son Jesus Christ. 95 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: You remember your covenant promises, You keep your covenant promises. 96 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 1: And now, as believers in your son Jesus Christ, under 97 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:54,720 Speaker 1: this new covenant, we know, Lord that we've received the 98 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: gift of your salvation and we have the promise of 99 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: your presence in our lives for us. So Lord, we're 100 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:03,719 Speaker 1: grateful for these things. We're grateful for your love, and 101 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 1: we're grateful Lord that you're right here with us today. 102 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: We commit this day to your care, and we thank 103 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: you for all of these things, and pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.