Psalms 73, 77-78 | Be Careful When God Blesses You

Psalm 73 is a reflection on the problem of the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous. The psalmist begins by expressing his envy of the wicked, who seem to have everything they want. However, as he enters into the sanctuary of God, he gains a new perspective on the situation. He realizes that the prosperity of the wicked is only temporary and that they will ultimately face judgment. The psalmist finds comfort in the fact that God is his strength and his portion forever.

Psalm 77 is a prayer of distress and lamentation. The psalmist is in great distress and is crying out to God for help. He is questioning whether God has forgotten him and whether God’s promises are still true. The psalmist is struggling to make sense of his situation and is finding it difficult to pray. However, as he reflects on the history of God’s faithfulness to his people, he gains confidence that God will not abandon him. The psalm ends with the psalmist reaffirming his trust in God.

Psalm 78 is a historical psalm that recounts the story of God’s faithfulness to his people throughout history. The psalmist begins by calling on the people to listen to his teaching and to pay attention to the lessons of the past. He recounts the story of God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and their subsequent rebellion in the wilderness. Despite their disobedience, God continued to show them grace and mercy, providing for their needs and leading them to the promised land. The psalmist concludes by urging the people to learn from the mistakes of their ancestors and to put their trust in God.

When God blesses us, it can be tempting to become complacent and forgetful of the source of our blessings. We may even start to take credit for our successes and forget that everything we have comes from God. In these moments, it is crucial to remember the dangers of pride and to stay vigilant in our faith. It is essential to remain humble and grateful, recognizing that our blessings are not a result of our own merits, but rather a gift from God. Moreover, we should be mindful of the responsibility that comes with blessings, such as the responsibility to use them to serve others and honor God. Ultimately, being cautious when God blesses us helps us stay grounded in our faith, remember our dependence on God, and use our blessings for His glory.

#ImportanceOfBeingHumble #StayingFaithfulWhenBlessed #UsingBlessingsToServeGod #GratefulHeart #AvoidingPride #StayingVigilantInFaith #ResponsibilityOfBlessings #GiftFromGod #GroundedInFaith #DependenceOnGod  #podcast #God #dailybible #bibleinayear #dailybiblepodcas

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Transcript

Jenny Zook: 0:00

Hi everyone and welcome to God's Plan, your part, a podcast where our goal is to read the entire Bible in a year, seeking to understand God's plan of redemption while discovering daily and practically your part in it.

Ryan Zook: 0:12

Hey, welcome back. Today we are looking at Psalm 73, 77 and 78. And we've kind of talked about it a little bit. I think we're gonna focus primarily on 78, but just to do justice to the other two. Let's talk a little bit about 73 and 77.

Jenny Zook: 0:27

I noticed when I read 73 this time around there was a lot that mentioned basically being almost like disgusted with the people who are not pure in heart and how they are just basically surrounded by lavish things. They have wealth. Yeah. You know, it's almost like this, what's the word I want, like envious. Situation that David finds himself in when referring to these, because he's just like, oh my word. Like, how are these people so successful? So like, adorned with all these good things, but at the end of the day, like they don't actually desire the Lord or follow after him.

Ryan Zook: 1:14

That is similar to Psalm 49. We looked at that one probably two days ago. Yeah. And that, that was a central concept in that too, like, serve the Lord and don't be worried about. The riches that other people have. It's funny, it's funny as I was reading over it, I was like, you know, it's, it's really hard to read these psalms and believe a prosperity gospel. Yeah. It's really hard to read these and think, man, like God just wants us to be rich and prosperous always. Mm-hmm. Because the psalmist continually talks about like, man, the evil people have everything they need. And I know there, there are well off Christians. There are people who God has blessed with prosperity, though I do not believe that God blesses everyone with prosperity. I think a lot about how Paul says he's learned to be content in every season and circumstance. Mm-hmm. And the, the call on a Christian's life is to honor the Lord despite our circumstances. Right. So that was something I found myself thinking about, reading over that song.

Jenny Zook: 2:11

Well, it also stuck out to me too, like. I don't, I don't know if I'm like just putting that in my own words or if I actually read it, that's terrible. But it maybe just caused me to think about it. Basically, I mean, how easy is that for us to do today? Like when you're relying so heavily on, actually I think it was a book that I was reading for a class, so Totally. Yeah. I mean, same idea. Yeah. But not what we're reading right now. But it's basically like, If you're living within like a perfect world, if you will, like, you have everything at your fingertips because of wealth, because of things you've been blessed with, sometimes if you're not careful, it, like it, it gives you reason to not trust in God anymore. I, I

Ryan Zook: 2:58

think you're accidentally setting us up for Psalm 78 right, because, because the message of Psalm 78 is, I, part of it is that God blessed the people. God blessed the people. God blessed the people and they almost resented him. The more he blessed them, like, why didn't he gimme this too? So there's, there's a lot in Psalm 78. I'm excited to talk about it, but one of the examples is, Well, two God gave them water out of a rock, and yet they continued to cry about more water from the rock. God gave them quail from the heavens, and they were mad about the quail. It actually says like, wow, the food was yet in their mouths. They started to complain. Mm-hmm. So I was like, God, gimme a steak. And then you're like eating the steak and it's like, ah. Why isn't this rare? Well, I, that's a

Jenny Zook: 3:43

whole other issue, but, but I just, I think that idea is very interesting because it's such an easy switch. Yeah. I do it in my own life, and it might not necessarily be with like money, but like things that I wanna see happen. Yeah. Maybe so. And then it's just like, well, okay, that worked out. Like I don't, I don't need to con like, converse with God about this X, y, Z issue because that worked out really well and whatever. And then when I find myself in a situation where I'm like, oh wait, this isn't what I wanted. Then it's like, oh God, help me do, yeah, what was me? Whatever. So I think it's just like a good reminder too that, anyway, those are the things that I had picked out of that, those initial shorter chapters, which leads us into

Ryan Zook: 4:21

78. So 78 is 72 verses. It's, it's definitely longer than a lot of the psalms we've been reading. It's not the longest Psalm, but it's a little bit lengthier than some of them. And what, what draws me to it? I still resonate with this kind of like teaching and preaching. It, it's basically like a, his, it's like a sweeping, historical overview of what God has done for his people. You mean 78? Yeah. Yeah. It, it's like, it, it walks us through the story of Israel. I mean, we've been doing God's plan, your part for several months now. So we've read all the details of this story, but Psalm 78 is basically gonna sum it up and talk about basically how God is gracious. Despite the sinfulness of his people. That's kind of the conclusion of the Psalm, is that God has done all these good things. The Israelites continue to turn away from God, and yet God has blessed them with a leader like David who's going to lead them back into God's presence.

Jenny Zook: 5:16

Well, something I really appreciate too is that this is, this is a unique Psalm in that it is still very poetic in nature, but it is a straight up history and the. It's like the, the title for it that was added to it. Obviously this was not original, but it says tell the coming Generation. Mm-hmm. So it's like this remembrance of all the things that had happened and something that I really appreciated was in versus five and six where it talks about basically just passing on this testimony. Two future generations. So teach their children. This is what verse five says. It says he commanded, meaning Jacob commanded our fathers to teach their children. The next generation might know them, that children yet unborn and arise until their children. So it's like this continue to remind people because how quickly again, how quickly we forget when we find ourselves in circumstances that don't necessarily seem great, how quickly we forget all the things that God has done up until that point. So that really, that was interesting to me as well. And kind of going off of what you were saying earlier, just like having all these miracles and then kind of what I was just talking about with passing the generations, a verse that I had underlined that stuck out to me that kind of goes along with all of this is in verse 42, it says they did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from their foe. And that's just, again, that's pointing back to Egypt. But. How quick we are to forget what God has done. If we don't like tell our kids, tell the people around us. Write it down for people to know in the future generations of what God has done on behalf of his

Ryan Zook: 7:07

people. One interesting thing to draw out. I thought you were gonna go there but you didn't. Hmm. Verse, what is it? Verse six. That the next generation might know them. Oh, the children yet unborn. Mm-hmm. God is giving a command through this psalm, through the psalmist that there is a plan in place that those who are yet unborn receive like the story of redemption. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And I guess it, it could be grasping a little bit because I don't, I mean, obviously they would've understood like a sanctity of life that we are made in God's image and therefore we should not be. Eliminated. Mm-hmm. But here you do have a command from God to teach the word, the story to unborn children. Mm-hmm. And so it's the idea, the idea is not that you're preaching to unborn children, but it is that there is a plan in place for those who have not even yet be been born. So the preservation idea, I guess you could use, this is not the strongest verse you could use. There's much stronger verses, but you could use this verse to support the idea that that abortion goes against God. Mm-hmm. And. There is a clear idea here from the psalmist that those who are unborn deserve what those who are already born have. Mm-hmm. So it's, it's, it is a little bit of a grasp. And, and it's, I'm not saying that because I don't believe it. I do believe it, and there's many passages that support it, much stronger than this. But there is a concern for the unborn here in this song. Thanks so much for listening to our take today. Before we get into the reading, if we could just ask you one thing if you've been enjoying the podcast, if you could subscribe to us and then leave a rating and review. We'd love to hear from you, and every rating we get helps us reach more people. Ultimately, we're just trying to reach people with the truth of God's word, and your review will help us do that. So thanks so much for being invested in the podcast. Here's the reading for today.

Jenny Zook: 9:03

Psalm 73. Truly, God is good to Israel to those who are pure and heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled. My steps had nearly slipped for. I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs until death. Their bodies are fat and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are. They're not stricken like the rest of mankind. Therefore, pride is their necklace. Violence covers them as a garment. Their eyes swell out through fatness. Their hearts overflow. With folies, they scoff and speak with malice loftily. They threaten oppression. They set their mouths against the heavens and their tongues struts through the earth. Therefore, his people turn back to them and find no fault in them, and they say, how can God know? Is there knowledge in the most high behold, these are the wicked. Always at ease. They increase enriches all in vain. Have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence for all the day long? I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. If I had said I will speak, thus I would've betrayed the generation of your children. But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a worrisome task until I went into the sanctuary of God. Then I discerned their end truly. You set them in slippery places. You make them fall to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment swept away utterly by terrors like a dream. When one awakes, oh Lord. When you ruse yourself, you despise them as phantoms. When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant. I was like a beast toward you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You hold my right hand, you guide me with your counsel, and afterward you'll receive me to glory, whom have I in heaven? But you. There is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from you shall perish. You shall put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you, but for me, it is good to be near to God. I have made the Lord my God, my refuge that I may tell of all your works. Psalm 77. I cry out to God aloud to God and he will hear me. And the day of my trouble, I seek the Lord and the night my hand is stretched out without wary. My soul refuses to be comforted. When I remember God. I moan. When I meditate, my spirit faints. You hold my eyelids open. I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I considered the days of old the years long ago. I said, let me remember my song and the night. Let me meditate in my heart. Then my spirit made a diligent search. Will the Lord's burn forever and never again be favorable? His has his steadfast love forever ceased, or his promises to an end for all time. Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he and anger shut up his compassion? Then I say, I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the most high. I will remember the deeds of the Lord. Yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work and meditate on your mighty deeds your way. Oh God is holy. What? God is great like our God. You are the God who works wonders. You have made known your might among the peoples who with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. When the waters saw you, oh God. When the waters saw you, they were afraid. Indeed, the deep trembled, the clouds poured out water. The skies gave forth thunder. Your arrows flashed on every side. The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind. Your lightnings lighted up the world. The earth trembled and shook your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters. Yet your footprints were unseen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Ryan Zook: 13:15

Psalm 78, give here, owe my people to my teaching. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings from of old things that we have heard and known that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from our children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord and his might. And the wonders that he has done. He has established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn and arise and tell them to their children so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation. A generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God. The irAEs, armed with the bow turned back on the day of battle. They did not keep God's covenant, but refused to walk according to his law. They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them in the sight of their fathers. He performed wonders and the land of Egypt in the fields of zone. He divided the sea and let them pass through it and made the water stand like a heap. In the daytime, he led them with a cloud and all the night with a fiery light, he split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly. As from the deep, he made streams come out of the rock and cause waters to float down like rivers. Yet they sin still more against him, rebelling against the most high in the desert. They tested God in their heart by demanding the f the food they craved. They spoke against God saying, can God spread a table in the wilderness? He struck the rock so that the water gushed out and streams overflowed. Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people? Therefore, when the Lord heard he was full of wrath, a fire kindled against Jacob, his anger rose against Israel because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power. Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven and he rained down on the mana to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate the bread of the angels. He sent them food in abundance. He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power, he led out of the south wind. He reigned meat on them, like dust winged birds, like the sand of the seas. He let them fall in the midst of their camp all around their dwellings, and they ate and were filled for. He gave them what they craved, but before they had satisfied their craving, while the food was still in their mouths, the anger of God rose against them. And he killed the strongest of them and laid low the young man of Israel, in spite of all this, they still sinned. Despite his wonders. They did not believe so. He made their days vanished like a breath, and their years in terror. When he killed them, they sought him. They repented and sought God earnestly. They remembered that God was their rock, the most high God, their redeemer, but they flattered him with their mouths. They lied to him with their tongues. Their heart was not steadfast toward him. They were not faithful to his covenant yet he being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them. He restrained his anger often and he did not stir up all his W rat. He remembered that they were, but flesh a wind that passes and comes not again. How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert. They tested God again and again and provoked the holy one of Israel. They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe. When he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of zone, he turned the rivers to blood so that they could not drink of their streams. He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them and frogs, which destroyed them. He gave their crops to the destroying locust and the fruit of their labor to the locust. He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamores with frost. He gave their cattle to hail and their flocks to thunderbolts. He let loose on them, his burning, anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels. He made a path for his anger. He did not spare them from death, but gave their lives over to the plague. He struck down every firstborn in Egypt, the first fruits of their strength in the tents of ham. Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them into the wilderness like a flock. He led them in safety so that they were not afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. He brought them to his holy land to a mountain, which his right hand had won. He drove out nations before them. He apportioned them for a possession and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents. Yet they tested and rebelled against the most high God and did not keep his testimonies, but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers. They twisted like a deceitful bow for they provoked him to anger with their high places. They moved him to jealousy with their idols. When God heard he was full of wrath and he utterly rejected Israel. He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelled among mankind and delivered his power to captivity his glory to the hand of the foe. He gave his people over to the sword and vented. His wrath on his heritage fired devoured. Their young men and their young women had no marriage song. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation. Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine, and he put his adversaries to route. He put them to everlasting shame. He rejected the tent of Joseph. He did not choose the tribe of Ephram, but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves. He built his sanctuary like the high heavens. Like the Earth, which has founded forever. He chose David, his servant, and took him from the sheet folds. And following the nursing use, he brought him to Shepherd Jacob, his people, Israel, his inheritance with upright heart. He shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. Thanks so much for listening to God's Plan, your part. If anything stuck out to you, if you have any questions or if you'd like to receive a Bible, you can email us at God's plan your part gmail.com. Also, if you're enjoying the podcast, please consider supporting us through the link in our description. We love that you're on this journey with us and we hope you have a great day. See you tomorrow.