“Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.” Psalm 73:25
Dear Ones:
There are several authors of the Psalms. Perhaps David is the most prominent, but Asaph is another. That which dominates these songs is the vision of the everlasting God, and the knowledge of His ways in dealing with, and revealing Himself to men. One of the great values of the Psalms is not only the discovery of Who and What God is, but how man, by the grace of God, takes that knowledge, and meets God according to those truths. It seems that the Psalms are a constant, moving picture of the intent and initiative of God, reaching out to His creation, to bring mankind, to a living knowledge and understanding of Himself. It is in the unveiling of His nature, and the knowledge of His ways, that God calls man to believe Him, and prove Him, by a life of obedient faith. But how is this to be done? How can men who are like the dust of the earth, and the flower of the field, know this eternal God. It is determined by basically two things. The first is the knowledge of the truths of God found in the psalms, truth being the very basis of all valid experience. The second thing, is the the response of faith in God, for it is in believing that the individual receives the very life and blessing of God. So, where does the experience to know God begin? It begins with a vision, or rather, the revelation of God to the heart and mind of man. It is that initiative of God, drawing out the heart and mind of man unto Himself, that prompts man to turn his attention heavenward and seek.
The Psalmist, Aspah, wrote indirectly of this vision, and the effect that it had on him. “Whom have I in heaven but Thee?” (73:25) Why does he write such a thing? Are there not others in heaven, other believers and loved ones? Are there not angels and angelic beings in heaven, who have never known sin, and thus, are able to gaze upon God in His glory? Yes, but the unveiling of God Himself, who He is, is so great and wonderful, that nothing of creation can compare with Him. It is as the hymn-writer put it: “Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus, I’ve lost sight of all beside.” Why does he write this? It is for the same reason that the Psalmist, so many years before, wrote basically the same thing. There is in the Creator, and Redeemer, a beauty, wonder, and glory, that eclipses all else beside. “The things of earth grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” So, Asaph is a man who writes and sings of a vision, a vision that is so powerful and dominant, that it affects his entire outlook on life, and his existence on the earth. The same was true of the hymn-writers, who though different, from different backgrounds and localities on earth, wrote of the same truth. The vision of God changes things.
What about growing in grace, increasing in the knowledge of God, in a consistent and ever-transforming manner? In writing to the believers in Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote concerning prayer: “I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also.” 1 Cor. 14:15) He would say the same thing about singing…with the spirit, and with the understanding. Why is this so very important? The vision of God is born out of the worship of God, in Spirit and in truth. The outworking of that vision, the practical applying of that vision to the life, is not just an inward desire and goal. It is a tangible grasp of the truth, and this, with the understanding. The knowledge of the word of God through study, and the waiting on God for understanding, is the primary guiding, and dominant factor in receiving all from God, proving the veracity of His word and His presence.
Dear Father, Open our hearts and minds to know the truth, responding in fullness of faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad