To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near. 2 ”When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly. The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved; I set up its pillars firmly. Selah —Psalm 75:1-3
Whether this Asaph is the author of Psalm 73 or 74, or of both, or of neither, we see a real interaction between the human and the Divine. As Asaph prays, God answers. If we reflect back on the impassioned writing of Psalm 74, we might conclude that this psalm, which we’re just beginning, records God’s response, with the situation still unchanged.
It’s likely that some of you reading these words today are in a situation in which you’re having to wait on the Lord for something. Your prayers, pleas, and petitions have been passionate and heartfelt, and yet, at this point, nothing has changed, even though you know that God has heard your prayers. As we begin this chapter, you’ll easily be able to understand what Asaph and others, including ourselves, have had to experience in one way or another, and that is being put on “The Waiting List.” What we want to do is to compile a list of things we can do while we wait for the Lord, and we’ll see how Asaph continues to engage in conversation with God even though nothing appears to have changed. He is still waiting.
In verses 1-3 we see an exchange between the two. Remember in Psalm 74, Asaph wrote, “Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily. Do not forget the voice of Your enemies; the tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually” (vv. 22-23).
The Lord’s response in verse 2 of our psalm today is this: “When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly.” This is followed by a prophetic reminder of the ultimate judgment that awaits the earth and all of its inhabitants: they will be dissolved, and the Lord will then set up its pillars firmly. The “setting up of pillars” reminds us: “The works of His hands are verity and justice; all His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and righteousness” (Psalm 117:7-8). God’s moral and ethical code is unchanging, which is essential to His upright judging of the world and all who have ever lived on it. If what was right and true for one generation wasn’t so in another, then one could cry “foul” against God on Judgment Day.
The first thing we want to add to our waiting list is exactly what Asaph exhibits in verse 1. Remember, Asaph doesn’t have any evidence that his situation has been remedied, and God’s response in verses 2 and 3 seems to indicate that it was yet future. So what’s the first item on the list? Begin to thank and praise God for what He is going to do. We must recognize that whatever God does and whenever He does it will be perfect. We praise Him when He answers our prayers, but we should also praise Him whether we see the answers or not. We can always know that His answer will be best for all concerned, including the one praying, and it can’t be anything less than perfect, because He is a perfect God!
Asaph thanks God, acknowledging that His “name is near” (“name” means “honor,” “authority,” “character”) and Asaph performs the first thing on our waiting list. He begins to praise God for who He is, not just for what He does. He seeks God’s face, not just His hand. 190
That’s for us, Saints! It’s at the top of the list. Begin to thank and praise God for what He is going to do. Do it not because of how you feel. Do it in spite of how you feel. And in doing that, you will be giving honor and glory to our Lord and will be blessed in one way or another (whether it’s what you expected or not) because He loves you.
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