Being
a man there are times when I am forced to ask my wife Patty where something
is.  Usually it is something that will
end the world as we know it if I cannot find it.

 

“Patty?”


“Yes?”


“Where’s
the sugar free peppermint syrup?”


“On
the counter.”

 

On
the counter?  I’m looking at the
counter!  Every other syrup is there—pumpkin
spice, almond roca (what’s a “roca”?), almond, white chocolate—but no peppermint.  No peppermint!!

 

After
banging around the kitchen with my frustration level rising to earth-shattering
proportions, my sweet wife walks in, grabs the bottle sitting on the counter
(next to the other syrups), sets it in front of me and says, “Look with your
eyes.”

 

Yea…that’s
me.  I can look but not see.  Granted, finding peppermint syrup might not
really be the end of coffee at my house but there are times in our lives when
we can look but not really see the truth in front of our eyes.  We continue in Psalm 73 today as we read in verses four through six:

 

4 They have no
struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.

5 They are free
from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills.

6 Therefore
pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.

Psalm
73:4-6

 

As
we continue through this Psalm, Asaph continues struggling through this age-old issue
of why those who do not know God seem to enjoy a great life while those who are
righteous seem to not enjoy a great life. 
His problem has been prayed over and over in the hearts of followers of
the Lord God Almighty of either covenant (Old or New).  I can identify with him when he writes in verse 14 “all
day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.” 

 

This
is the heart of our problem, isn’t it? 
There are times when our faithfulness is seemingly met with further
conflict and attacks.  Been there?  Done that? 
Sometimes the most immoral people seem to have it all together and seem
to have everything any human could ever want: money, prestige, houses, cars,
ability to travel at will, and seemingly hardly working for the wealth they
have.  Asaph notices these people are
able to strut around in their pride and take whatever they want.  They can use and abuse with no consequence.

 

No
wonder Asaph wrote, “Surely in
vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence” (verse 13).  It’s easy to go there, isn’t it?  It is so easy to remove our eyes from the
Creator and look at the creation.  It’s
easy to think what Asaph was thinking. 
If we’re really honest, we have all thought this—I certainly have.

 

But
our faithful follower of God penning this Psalm turns the spiritual corner: “When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply
till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final
destiny.”  A reminder to all of us
of any time: those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ will lose in the end.  As the bumper sticker reads, “He who dies with the most toys…still dies”  and “after
that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

 

It’s
easy to get lost in the details and forget the bigger picture.  Here are a few helps in zooming out to see
the big spiritual picture:

  • Unfaithfulness
    to the Lord ultimately leads in only one direction: down.     “Good judgment wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful
    leads to their destruction”     (Proverbs 13:15).

  • Faithfulness
    to this world is ultimately pointless.      “The world and its desires pass way, but whoever does the
    will of God lives forever”     (1 John 2:16 ).

  • This
    world is not our ultimate destination; it’s our mission field.     “…As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21).

 

Verse
1

Love came broke through
my darkest night

Broke chains and
surrounded me with light

I’m alive on the inside

 

Pre-chorus

Can’t hide it this love
I’ve found

Can’t hide it gonna make
a shout so loud

The world will hear the
sound

Let’s let ’em hear it

 

Chorus
1

I am not ashamed I am
not ashamed

No way

I’ve been saved by
amazing grace

And nothing’s gonna take
it away from me

 

Verse
2

I’m saved led out to the
light

Remade by the blood of
Jesus Christ

I’m alive on the inside

 

Pre-chorus

Can’t hide it this love
I’ve found

Can’t hide it gonna make
a shout so loud

The world will hear the
sound

Let’s let ’em hear it

 

Chorus
2

I am not ashamed I am
not ashamed

I’m changed

By the power of Your
name

And nothing’s gonna take
it away from me

 

Bridge

Not height nor depth nor
trial or pain

Can separate or take
away

My hope my life my joy
or song

In Jesus I’ll be
standing strong

“Not
Ashamed”

David
Moore | Ryan Edgar

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