LET US FOLLOW THE WISE COUNSEL OF THE LORD

Proclamation:

“Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand.  You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory.”  Psalm 73:23-24 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of the psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Asaph, a Levite who was an outstanding musician in the days of King David who was also appointed minister of music, or choir leader, in the center of worship in Jerusalem.  Even though he had been tempted to sin because he envied the prosperity of the wicked (Psalm 73:3) and was angry with God for allowing them to prosper, (Psalm 73:21-22) The Lord God took him by the hand, like we would do a small child, gave him wise counsel and led him to the sanctuary.

Application:

After going through the temptations, trials, and tribulations of our journey in the wilderness of this world, if we would just follow the guidelines from The Word of God, The Lord will lead us to His sanctuary.  We need not concern ourselves with what others have or are doing, we just need to pray and do that which is right in the sight of The Lord.  Then, after this life is over and we have passed through death, He will receive us into His kingdom to enjoy everlasting joy in His presence for eternity.

ENJOY THE JOY OF THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD

Proclamation:

"Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.  You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand."  Psalms 16:9-11 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  After beginning this psalm with a one line prayer, David goes on to recount how The Lord has blessed him, and then he restates his commitment to The Lord.  Then he states how glad he is that The Lord has kept him, shown him the right path to take, and filled him with joy.

Application:
We can learn a lot from David.  The first thing that we should learn is that a prayer does not have to be lengthy in order to be effective. (Psalms 16:1)  Maybe if we prayed more often, then our prayers would not have to be so long.  The second thing we can learn is to praise The Lord more often for the good things that He has done for us and for others. (Psalms 16:2-3)  We need to be grateful for what we have already been blessed to receive. (Psalms 16:5-6)  Then we need to listen to, and obey the counsel and instruction of The Lord, and we should always keep The Word of God before us. (Psalms 16:7-8)  God has blessed us, and we should be glad. (Psalms 16:9)  He has shown us the right path to take, and His Word is the light unto the right pathway. (Psalms 16:11 and Psalms 119:105)  The joy that He has given to us, cannot be taken from us. (John 17:13)  He is always with us, and in His presence there is complete joy. (Psalms 16:11)  There is no greater joy than the joy we experience in the presence of The Lord.