I love what Psalm 73 says, verse 23, Asaph is writing this great revelation.  We know the context of this, all of the complaining about the wicked prospering.  “I don’t understand why all of these evil people…  Here I am trying to serve God and things are going so badly.”  “The ungodly,” verse 12 says, “who prosper in the world.  That went on until verse 17, “…I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.”  It’s not about where you are, it’s where we’re going to end up, praise God!  Amen?  Who do you want to be, the rich man or Lazarus?  The rich man had his stuff here on earth and he died.  Lazarus went to Abraham’s bosom, praise God!  So, in the midst of this the Psalmist says, “So foolish was I, and ignorant…Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.  Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”

I want to encourage you with this.  He’s got you by the hand.  Almighty God has you by the hand!  Just try to picture in your mind, some of those pictures we’ve seen.  You see some man, large, powerful, from the rear, walking away with his little boy grasping his finger.  Can you see that image?  God has you by the hand.  We’re just about through, we’re just about done with this course.  Are we going to realize that God has us where He wants us?  He’s working it all together for good, for His glory.  Can we rejoice in the fact that God’s going to be glorified when He brings you out of this tribulation?  For it is common to men, it will not overcome you.  He will make a way of escape, praise God!  So, we rejoice in Him and we give Him all His glory.

Father, we thank You for Your Word.  We just trust that those that are in trials tonight and are getting weary, that we would understand this is common.  It’s the hour that we’re living in, it’s for our good.  We’re being refined.  Give us grace and faith to believe that this will, ultimately, be the best thing that could ever happen to us.  Without faith it’s impossible to please God.  So, by Your grace, Lord, just allow that faith to rise up in us.  You’ve called us Your own; You call us by name.  You’ve taken our hand, and if You’re for us, nothing, no one, can be against us!  For that we give You all the praise, Father, and all the glory in Jesus’ name, amen.