Shalom,

Psalm 73 is a Psalm of Asaph. If you remember, Asaph was one of a group of Levites who served as musicians and worship leaders. In this Psalm he looks at the fact that sometimes it seems as though the righteous suffer while the ungodly prosper. One of the things I have noticed about a lot of the Psalms is that they may present a problem at the start, but USUALLY the writer ends up encouraging themselves in the Lord and speaking Truth in the end! Let's look at the last verse of Psalm 73:

²⁸But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

Asaph is saying here that it is "good", the Hebrew word "towb", which means: good, pleasant, agreeable, excellent, rich, appropriate, valuable in estimation, happy, prosperous, a good thing, to draw near to God. We have a promise for that! It's found in James 4:8a:

⁸Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.

So it really IS a good thing to draw close to God! Then the rest of Psalm 73:28 says that Asaph has put his trust in the Lord and made the Lord his refuge, his hiding place, his shelter. Why? So "that I may declare", the Hebrew word, "caphar", which means: to count, recount, to relate, to take account of, to rehearse, to number, to reckon, to declare, all Thy works! We should also be telling all of His works! It reminds US and encourages others to continue to put faith, trust and confidence in HIM!

We begin Romans today. In the first verses Paul is explaining his position and calling. He speaks about wanting to come to see the saints in Rome. He speaks of people rejecting the Lord and His Word and the results of it that are clearly seen in the way the people of the world act. You can see a very clear picture of OUR world and what has happened in the last half of the chapter. I want to concentrate today on verse 16:

¹⁶For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God's power working unto salvation to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,

Paul says that he is NOT ashamed of the Gospel (the Good News) for it IS the "power", the Greek word "dunamis", which means: force, miraculous power, strength, the power of performing miracles, the inherent ability to perform anything (it's where we get our word "dynamite" from) unto, or resulting in, "salvation", the Greek word, "soteria", which means: deliverance, safety, preservation, health, rescue. The Word of God contains the Power of God to set you (and others!) free from every work and worker of darkness that has ever and will ever, try to come against you! Get into the Word and get the Word into YOU! The Word of God contains "all the power you need"! AMEN!

In Leviticus we see that only the high priest, Aaron at this particular time, could ever enter into the Holy of Holies, and only in some very specific ways! I can't ever read these verses without thinking of Hebrews 10:19-24:

¹⁹Therefore, brethren, since we have full freedom and confidence to enter into the [Holy of] Holies [by the power and virtue] in the blood of Jesus,

²⁰By this fresh (new) and living way which He initiated and dedicated and opened for us through the separating curtain (veil of the Holy of Holies), that is, through His flesh,

²¹And since we have [such] a great and wonderful and noble Priest [Who rules] over the house of God,

²²Let us all come forward and draw near with true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith (by that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty (evil) conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water.

²³So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word.

²⁴And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities,

THAT is our promise as believers in Jesus of Nazareth! So let's take FULL advantage of our rights and privileges as children of God and joint, equal heirs with Jesus of Nazareth! Let's go boldly into His presence continually so that we are always in a position to hear and obey and receive from Him! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!