Is Sickness caused by God?
A Written compostion by The Heavenly Calling Network Study Group

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Or should we ask a different question?

Questions arise, thoughts are provoked. Arguments and doubtfulness abound. One of those really difficult questions is constantly pounded in our heads. The question comes along to each and every mind, "Does God make people sick". Well, does he? Well, in this thought-provoking question, there has to be an answer. There is a bigger question that we can also ask and that is, "Why did this happen to me"?

One of the things that we should remember is that there are two aspects in scriptures that pertain to us. One, we should delight in, which is the glorious message of the HIGH calling in Christ. The fact that our life is hid with our Father is the blessed hope that is in front of us. The other fact is that we are made meat to be inheritors. We are members of the body. And all those blessings that we owe to the LORD through the Apostle of the prisoner of Jesus Christ. Then on the other hand, we are reminded, whether we read the scriptures are not, we are here in a world that is very antagonistic to truth. This word is also described in simple terms as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. So it is to do with the things here, as well as to the things there.

I would not be surprised that we all may have had thoughts some time in our lives, asking, why should this happen to me. Growing up, I always stop those kind of thoughts, by saying to my self, why not me. There are so many that seem to be involved in troubles, and sickness, loss, and all sorts of difficulties and problems. And so many times this thought, which is expressed down deep, why should it happen to me? I don't think it's a waste of time to isolate some scriptures and get some help on this. So that maybe, if perhaps, you will be the one who seldom or never had that thought in your heart, you’d soon meet some body who has.

The first thing we could say, and say it from the testimony of scripture, one of the reasons why these things happen is that there is a war on. You start the bible, in the first few chapters, you have an antagonistic person called the serpent (in our King James, but really the shining one who became the serpent, but that is another study). And you have that serpent in the last book until atlas he is dispatched. Because of his high character you can not dismiss him. He is called the prince of this world and the god of this age. And even Michael, the archangels, dares not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, the LORD rebuke you. You do not help the truth of God by minimizing the enemy.

There is a great war that is going on. It’s hard to tell in our eyes at moments if we are being told the truth sometimes. There are black outs, and the rationing of food, and information that you can not sometimes tell if its from the enemy, told to us to discourage. You remember Peter in his epistle that he wrote, to those whom he had a ministry, said, don't think it’s a strange thing that has been done to you, this is going on in all the world. That is the first thing to remember. While we are very conscience of what happens to us. It would help us if we remember the man next door, or the lady on the other side, that they are in the same predicament. And the very fact would help us and help them. Don't minimize this, face it. And acknowledge that so many times that these thoughts arise in our hearts whether we would or know.

The passage that has proved, first of all to be a little problem, and then when it is a bit more carefully translated, gives you some idea of an answer is found in 1Corinthians chapter Verse 13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man"... That is one thing to remember. There is one thing that is human, and that is to magnify his own particular sufferings. So he says, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." That is a puzzle, isn't it? If you have a way to escape you don't bear it, do you? And strictly speaking, that is what a good many of us would seek - to get away from it. A way to escape from it. Well, if you escape from it, you don't bear it do you. In that case, you say, I wonder if it is wise to see just exactly what the original scripture says before we come to a further conclusion. Hey, no snickering now, I know you love the King James. But, this particular word is found once more in the last chapter of Hebrews. So lets you and I obey the instructions and compare spiritual things with spiritual before we attempt a conclusion.

The 13th chapter of Hebrews really leads up too much the same thing. In verse 6, "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me"....

The reason why these passages are being show is for the words that follow them, "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. 7: Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation"... It is the word "end". Now you know full well that is doesn't mean something that they leave off. This is the goal of their conversation. Shall I say it is the issue of their conversation? And when I say that, I come back to this passage. The issue ... that word "way to escape" is the issue, the end. Not a termination, but the reason for it. You see that word issue has a double meaning in English, it helps us. You see the water issuing from a rock, pouring out. And you say that is the issue of this study. The goal of what we have in view. So, the translators took the idea, that they will make it a way to escape. Well, there is no escape here. It is the issue. Now lets go back again and re-read it. 1 Corinthians 10 Verse 13. " There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able"; ... That is one thing. The back and the burden is one thing, is known to Him. Then follows, "but will with the temptation".... shape the end ... "that ye may be able to bear it".... Isn't t that the burden of the question. Why does it happen to me? If only they could see that there is and end in view. It would justify it. It would satisfy so much. So, we are taking the word to its original meaning, and its not that you escape it, but the issue of it is in the hand of God before He allows it to touch.

Supposing, we think of the book that we shall be turned to at some time or another, the epistle of James. He speaks about the sufferings and he says that you've seen the end of the Lord. And then refers you to the book of Job. We shall look there. Chapter 5 of the epistle of James ... Verse 11 "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord"; ... Now this is not the same word "end", but it is the same idea. You must not look at the book of Job and think of only his sufferings. You must look at the book of Job and see the goal that was in front of God. And see the why, the reason why, the whole sufferings fell on that devoted man. There is one chapter that Job never read. Never knew, until, perhaps later. One chapter that his three companions didn't know. They looked at him and saw him suffering so much, and some said "you must be a secret sinner" and all sort of reasons. But, the one reason that is given in chapter one, where Satan entered in the presence of God, and challenged God with regard with Job's integrity. Now, you may say that is fantastic, but it is written. The whole of the book of Job takes on a different complexion when we realize that is the fore ground of it all. Leading right through to the end.

Here are a few Verses in Job that we should link together. Job chapter 19, which has the words that are so well known; but, perhaps not as well know as they should be ... Verse 25 "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God"....

I know that my redeemer liveth. And side by side with that wonderful knowledge is another passage, where he said he didn't know. Chapter 23 Verse 8, " Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: 9: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: 10: But he knoweth the way that I take".. Put those two together. Anybody who can take both of these passages, have a couple of text that will carry them and take them right through life to the day of glory. I know and HE knows. I know that my redeemer liveths. But, I don't know all the complexities of life. I do not know all the answers to the problem. But, He knows the way that I take. And "when he hath tried me". When He hath tried me? Isn't that a part of the story? Cast your mind back to the children of Israel, delivered from Egypt by the Passover lamb. Going through the miraculous, their journey of the Red Sea opens for them. Lead by the Spirit of God through their journeys. And yet, the scriptures say of God, "I" suffered thee to hunger. We can understand God saying "I fed you with bread" or "manna" in the wilderness. But, He says both. He says God, that gave you the manna, with held the food. But why? Well He tells you. "I suffer thee to hunger". "I fed you with bread from heaven." "That you may know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeths out of the mouth of God." So you see, there is a light, isn't there.

These trials and problems that we have to face, they are hard to bear, the scriptures says so. But oh surely the pain is eased a bit. When we are not so baffled as to why. Well, we say, that it is the same God that is ruling both sides. "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me". When He hath tried me. When He hath tried me. What does it say, "I shall come forth as gold"... This word "tried" means to try a metal. Peter uses the same thing. He says "the tried of your faith is much more precious than gold that parishes." The tried of your faith. We can understand this so much easier if you think of the primitive crucible that Job would have in view. He hasn't got those tremendous scientific inventions that we have today. He had a simple earthen pot. He had a simple charcoal fire. And a very primitive form of bellows that he worked with his foot or his hand. He sat crossed legged and here is the story coming out that makes him seem so full to us. How did he know when the metal that he was testing was now free from drafts. The simple answer is, he didn't have thermometers and he didn't have a lot of other mechanical things. He knew it was complete when he could see the reflection of his own face. Oh surely you say, there is a double meaning there. If in all my temptations and problems and difficulties I gradually become more and more like unto Him so that He sees the reflection of His own image. And the moment that image is there the fire ceases. Not one further stroke. That is the reason. So, God is not unkind. But He is preparing us for glory. And these disciplines are very essential and very necessary. So we have the idea that we don't have a way to escape so that we bear it. God is shaping the issue so that we can bear it. "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold"... He says I see that there is and end therefore I can more patiently endure.

Let’s take another similar argument from the book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 12, Now you might know that there were exemplimentary children. Very good. Never doing anything wrong. Never getting in to trouble. Verse 6. "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7: If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8: But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9: Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10: For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure";... That is hardly a good word. It doesn't mean to say they are delighting in it. But it was the thing that they had to do. ..."but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness"... Partaker of His holiness is a goal. I shall come forth as gold said Job. The trial of your faith is much more precious than gold that parishes, though it be tried with fire, that it maybe the praise of His honor and glory in that day. Oh,, you see there is a great goal in view. So He says that you might be partakers of His holiness. Now He comes back and speaks in terms in our attitude. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous,... It would be contrary to truth if the scriptures said that chastening, oh is lovely. Well, you say, that is not according to truth, no He says,, I agree with you ..."but grievous":... But He says look, there is and afterwards. ..."nevertheless afterward"... It is the afterwards that matter. There you have the way of escape or the end. You see the end of the Lord, and the patience of Job. It is the afterwards that you must keep in mind. Not the present. And if in the present affliction you could have the afterwards before your mind and your heart, Oh what a difference it would make to you. And what a difference it could make to those that come to you for sympathy.

So He says, "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness"... There is one clause that is to be remembered, "unto them which are exercised thereby".... That may be the key word too much prolonged suffering. One of God's children is immediately exercised. He doesn't have a whine in his voice, but has a why in his prayer. Oh LORD why? Where have I departed from the truth? Show me thy way. Lead my on a plain path. That's one. He is exercised by it. And because he is truly exercised, it begins to be taken away. The discipline has done its work. But if on the other hand, you’re continually being scoured, and you never sort of put up the prayer "teach me thy Lord thy way, show me where I have gone wrong" it will be continuous.

And it is pretty interesting that there is another passage that balances this with the word exercise that we should look at while we are in the book of Hebrews. Chapter 5 is referring to the fact that some of these believers have been a long time reaching maturity. ...Verse 11, " Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12: For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13: For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14: But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised"... You see, the babe has senses. It can see. It can hear. It can touch. But it doesn't interpret them. If it sees the moon through the window it tries to grab it. You see, its senses are not exercised. But, if you have your senses exercised you have reached adulthood, and so He says to discern both good and evil.... Therefore ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God. You’re still going back to the milk. You haven't advanced. You haven't grown. You can't take a full diet. So He says therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection. That word "perfection" is very similar to Verse 14 and the word "age". Let’s grow up. And so, you have got all these passages of scripture with these various symbols and references that should help us as we sometimes have to help others who are in distress.

Looking at a different book 1 Peter chapter 1. which was already partly quoted, here it speaks for itself. He is speaking about the inheritance that is reserved for them. Their blessings that they have in Christ. Verse 6, " Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season"... And this is re-translated for my own benefit, to make easier to say. For a season and a reason need be is a reason. Let’s take those two. For a season. That is a meaning for a definite period. Not forever. Weeping, as the scripture says. Weeping may endure for a night, but supposing it does, joy commeths in the morning. So you can say, as some of our friends have had to say, when the doctor has told them that the illness they suffer with is incurable. It depends, doesn't it, on your point of view. Some brother might have diabetes and is told that he will have it all his life, and he will say, is that all, well then that's alright. Another person would say, "I've got to have that all my life have I". What a different attitude. It's for a season. And then, the book of Revelation shows that it will be no more. It is written across that pain, sighing, crying, sorrow, death, will be no more. It’s for a season. And its for a reason if need be. A reason. You can depend upon it, although God doesn't explain to you, or if He does, you don't quite understand. Or if He says, "I do not explain to you because you must walk by faith and not by sight sometimes." That there is a reason. A reason in your self. A reason because of your associates. A reason because of your place in the great purpose of God. Oh what a difference it would make to us and turn our grumbling into thanksgiving, if we could only keep those thoughts in mind. It’s for a season, and it’s for a reason. It’s for a limited time, and it’s got a place in Gods purpose.

It's just a part of the fact that there is a war on. And that God Himself is waiting patiently. Our Savior is at the right hand of God henceforth expecting till His enemies to be made His foot stool. And then at long last we read, then cometh the end. Then will the Son Himself be subject onto Him that put all things under Him, that God, not Father, not Son, not Spirit, but God, in a sense that we can not put together in scripture yet because we don't know enough, that God may be and will be all in all. So there is a feeling now that if these things are a part of Gods truth then it looks as though we may be able to say and to put those scriptures before us, continually reminding us of them.

Lets look at the 73rd Psalm. The first thing that I want you to notice is this. There is word that occurs 3 times, in this Psalm, that is translated by 3 different words, but all are very comparable. And as much as this word is used in this Psalm to divide this experience up that is one thing that we should surely note. Because it is a part of our witness that we build our doctrine upon what God has said. And what God has said is the actual word that is used; however good a translation that may be. Verse 1 "Truly". Then you find the same word in Verse 13 "Verily". And is repeated for the 3rd time "Surely" You see, He didn't say those three different words, He said one word 3 times over. Now, I am not suggesting that the literal translation of this word should be what I am now going to suggest. But, in the way in which we might speak fairly freely in our English idiom, you get the sense of it by using this word, after all. Now, after all, in our use of the word, means to say - you know I better change my opinion. He said after all God is good to Israel. But you may say to him, but surely, you belong to the Hebrew people. You have all the testimony in the way He blessed Abraham and the children of Israel and brought them into the land and gave them King David and so on. Oh, he says, I wasn't quite sure about it. After all, God is good to Israel. Evan as to such that I will have a clean heart. Well you might say that if He were good to Israel surely He would be good to those who have a clean heart. He said that's just the trouble. That's just the thing that puzzles me. So the writer of this Psalm goes on and says, Verse 2, " as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped"....

So you see, it comes to a point, when he was losing grip. And the trouble was, as we are going to see he was envious when he looked at the wicked. They didn't seem to be judged, puzzle or perplexed as some of God's children are. I don't know whether you are reading this and thinking to your self saying, " Ah I have never been in that possession", then my friend your an exemption to the rule. For there are very few of us that can look back on our lives and say we haven't some times wondered why this should happen to me. Well, that is what he is dealing with, the writer of this Psalm. Isn't it good to think that God hasn't given us a book to study where everybody is absolutely perfect? We shouldn't find very many echoes should we? We are not glad that Abraham stooped to tell a white lie, that he did. He said, "you know if these people in Egypt know that I am your husband they might take my head off to take you. "Now you say that you are my sister. You are my sister, can't you see it. Have you never done it your self my friend. You've got near it sometime possibly when you were in a fix. There is Abraham, who believed almost the most incredible thing, that God was revealing that Abraham wasn't absolutely spotlessly perfect then.

Then we thank of a man like David, the wonderful way in which that man has been used of God in some of His Psalms. But, look at the way that man fell. Murder and Adultery. Committed by the man that was chosen to be the king of Israel and a man after God's own heart. So you see, it does good, not to be glad that people sin and people fall, but that those people whom did sin and whom did fall can never the less be restored. For if that weren't a possibility there would be very little hope for any of us. So, the writer of this Psalm, said, after all. After all my wondering and perplexities, after all God is good to Israel, "even to such as are of a clean heart. 2: But as for me, my feet were almost gone." You shall see that the writer of this Psalm is glad to say almost. He never actually fell right away, for somebody was holding his hand whether he knew it or not. " as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped".... And he said I will tell you why "I was envious"... You read the New Testament and it gives a warning to those who are envious and covetous. There are those who think that suffering in this world are a strange thing. Peter told them that it wasn't a strange thing. He said it is happening to your brethren in the world. And one of the reasons that we saw prior was that there is an indication in the scriptures that we are living in a world where there is a war on. And we happen to be here in the midst of this battle that is going on between right and wrong. One day the prince of this world is to be cast out and his angels with him. And the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our LORD and of His Christ. And all this wonder will be over. But, mean while, we must remember that he are the prince of this world and the god of this age, and there are no light titles. You are told that even Michael, the archangel, in the presence of this one "durst" not brings against him a railing accusation, but said, " the Lord rebuke thee." We only play in the hands of the evil one if we minimize him. And we don't always want to be talking about him.

And this man said, "my steps almost went." He is going to tell you that he knows why. But he has to get somewhere before he gets that assurance. And you and I are going to get there and know it for our selves, other wise we shall many a time wake up and discover we are more or less walking the steps of this Psalm writer. He said I began to wonder. He said I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. And you can't close your eyes to this. Yes, but you see, it is only for a brief period and till that day comes, then joy, real transparent unavoidable joy coming in the morning. The other part of this thought is that weeping may endure for a night, it doesn't say it must but it may, but joy cometh in the morning. So it says, the reason why I was envious "there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. 5: They are not in trouble as other men"... And one of the things that we should notice in our previous reference in the epistle to the Hebrews, when it said about chastening, it says that it is the FATHER that chastens the child. And if you have no FATHER chastening you, you may be illegitimate children. And you see, a little child, who is under the discipline of his father, maybe envying the little rug rat out there that nobody bothers about at all. But there is an afterwards in regard to that. Follow those two children and see as much atlas they achieve manhood. Then you will see that never the less afterwards it yielded the peaceable fruits of righteousness to those who exercised their mind.

So we have here, Verse 5, "They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. "6: Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. They are all dressed up with this little brief authority - the chain and the garment. And many of them are in high places. And many of them rule with the true child of God. But once we learn from the original question, it's answer, we then will and do not envy them. Then we will let this man tell us and let him go to his conclusion. He goes and speaks about them further, Verse 7, "Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish".... Their eyes stand out with fatness, what a picture of a bloated one who seems to be gathering to him self-all the produce of the earth. There are so many who's eyes are standing out because of famine and disease and want. But there are these; apparently, with nothing to stop them from getting all the best the world can give to them. Verse 8, "They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. 9: They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth"... You can see that these are the boasters. The blasphemers. The ones who do not submit to any control. They are the masters. Verse 10, "Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them".... The waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. They don't get a way with it like these people do. These are not in trouble like they are.

And so it perplexed them as it perplexed this man. Verse 11, "And they say, How doth God know?"... There is a feeling of being forsaken. There is feeling that they have been left that they have been forgotten. How does God know? It is their knowledge in the most High. Verse 12, "Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches." They prosper and they increase. Oh well, We say, God is my Father, heaven is my home, they can have the rest. We are very glad in truth for the amenities in life. But don't let us wear them as sweaters. Let us walk humbly with our God and walk lightly.

This man endured this, and then he said, Verse 15, "If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. 16: When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me"... You know, sometimes when you look at things like this in a little different language it helps you see it. Moffat translation puts it this way; "I have been faithless to my family so I thought of it thinking to fathom it. It surely did trouble me, till I found out God's secret viewing their latter end." And that is where we come at last. Verse 17, "then understood I their end." Do you remember about the end for the believer? Well, these boasters, these wealthy ones, these wicked ones, they also will have an end. He said, I began to see that I was envying that which is passing, and I had with in me the evidence, which is the permanent.

So now we come to the next occasion that this word translated "Verily" or truly or surely. When he said, I looked at all this prosperity and the wicked getting away with it, you know I came to this conclusion. Verily, after all. I am going to suggest that rendering again. After all Verse 13, "I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence." What's the good of it all, he says. Doesn't seem to be any evidence of God cares or knows. In fact, the question is now being muted. Doth God know? Is there knowledge in the most High? Verse 14, "For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning." And the New Testament says if you have a FATHER you must expect to be chastened. And it also says now I know that no chastening at the time is joyish but rather grievous. And I don't know if you were ever a bad child when you were young, but I know what it was to have so many stripes. But when I received the chastening at that time I was not joyish about it. Never the less, afterwards I was much more careful not to do those things that I got the stripes for. And the very fact that I had a father whom took me in hand, even though, in many ways I thought it was more grievous than I deserved. Some of these times were done in the drinking mode, but I assure you it was a blessing that I didn't realize at first as I do now. And so the chastening is apart of the discipline that we must expect if we are walking through this wicked world and we have a father, who is watching over us, so that we don't get contaminated. For there is and afterwards in store.

Then he said Surely, after all. It's dawned upon him. I understood their end. I haven't looked for enough. We may be children of God, starving, hungry, and the wicked full, but we need to look far enough. After all Verse 18 thou didst set them in slippery places: Notice that he said my feet have had well nigh slipped. But look at these people that I have been envying. Do their feet well nigh slip? "Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction." Oh, he said. My feet well nigh slipped, but these they went right down to destruction. No hand was holding them up in the slipper path that they were walking. Oh, there is a difference. You and I may be walking in the dark. We may be walking in a way that we know not. But there is one who walks with us. Who has given us this statement? "I will never leave thee, neither will I forsake thee." In this Greek statement, there is piled together five negatives, which would not be possible in English, but is allowable in the original. So, to help us to realize, that we shall never be in this predicament. So he says, After all, I envied them didn't I. And now I see that they were in slippery places and have been cast down in destruction. Verse 19, "How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment!" they are utterly consumed with terrors. This mans view point is changing, isn't it. At one moment he is envying the very people, the next one he is seeing a bit more clearly that they are not to be envied. He is in a position that they might envy if they only knew. And we want to say, "Oh, I want to get to that too. "I want to know where I can get that lesson. So, we will go on and follow the lesson that this Psalm writer has started.

Verse 19, "How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. 20: As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image." A very difficult Verse to interpret, unless we just say that we will just see when that day comes. The day of Resurrection and standing in His presence will be the real thing. And the rest of it will be set aside as a bad dream. Verse 21, "Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins"... I just wonder if some know where their reins are in the Old Testament usage of the word? Not that it matters very much, but its the kidneys. And there is another word that we sometimes haven't quite realized, that is that it speaks about the liver under the title of weight - because the liver is the heaviest organ of the body. But it says, wake up my glory. The word glory is the word weight. Wake up my liver. The liver has two meanings. One is that liver that is an organ in his body, and the person who lives, as some one has said, is life living, that depends on the liver. Physically, or spiritually. The reins are the kidneys. Verse 22, "So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee." When I get to that position he is drawn very low. But, possibly we have to be brought pretty low in order that we may be raised up in the true sense. Oh, he says, how wrong I was to be envious of these people. How wrong I was to think that He has forgotten me. How wrong I was to take that attitude. [[[Verse 23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee:]]] Oh He is coming back, my friend "Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand." He says now I know why I didn't slip completely as these others did. I almost slipped, but He was always with me. He never left me. He was continually holding me by my right hand. And so we have the restoration of this man to his full trust in the God that he doubted for a time.

Verse 23, "Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand." Now he takes a sort of vow. He takes a sort of new resolution. "Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel." You see he has been objecting, like some of us do, to the counsel of God that was regulating his life. He was comparing himself with others who were not comparable. But he said; "Now I take this new point of view." Though shalt guide me with thy counsel. And then what. We are heading to the word that is the key word in Hebrews. Never the less, he yields the fruit of righteousness. Afterwards. Well my friend, I think one of the things that we remember is so far as you and I am concerned, is after wards. IF this was the be all and the end all here we would then have such a complaint as to the question that is asked and the answer that so many want to put forward. But, there is a life to come. And that is all the difference. There is something after wards. And when that after wards come, concealment, which is the darkness, is dispelled. Death is destroyed. Hunger is no more. We find our selves in the image and the likeness of our Savior. Oh, what a difference then. This little pathway and its little sufferings will appear. You know the Apostle could speak about sufferings couldn't he. For if a man gives us a list that is almost impossible to believe it is the list of the things that man went through. And yet he said, our light affliction is but for a moment. Think of it. Beaten with rods. Shipwrecked. Day and a night he had been in the deep. In prisons often. Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, why could he say that. Was he insensitive? No. He learned perspective. I won't go in to that because we all have trouble with that in our early days and you may struggle with it now. But he saw a spiritual perspective. He says in comparison with what the Lord has stored for me, said Paul, the affliction is light. And with comparison with eternity its but for a moment. Not only that, it is under His care. The light affliction, which is but for a moment, wortheth for us a far more exceeding eternal weight of glory. Notice I left out the and there, it isn't in the original. The light affliction is the weight of glory.

Verse 24, "Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. 25: Whom have I in heaven but thee?" Now if this writer could say that, what about our selves. The risen and the ascended Christ, who we acknowledge as our redeemer and Savior, is said to be at the right hand of God, ever living to make intercession for us. And if we are going to take that as it is written, WE ARE NEVER OUT OF HIS CARE. We may not always be sure, or be conscience, but we are never forgotten. He knows the way that I take and when He has tried me, says the scripture, I will come forth as gold. So there is an end you see, all the time which God has in view, which is only we can see which stop many of our wondering and murmuring. Verse 25, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee." This writer has certainly changed his opinion. On earth there were these folks piling up their money banks, eating and being merry. And you were envious with them, and he says I know. I know that I have learned something. So we get these three words. Truly, Verily, and Surely. After all thou didst set them in slippery places. Verse 26, "My flesh and my heart faileth": Yes Asaf. It is good to recognize weakness of self. Because if we don't we are apt to put trust into our own ideas, plans, and vain imaginations. But, when we are conscience of how week we are, and that He is our strength, even as our redeemer. "My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion" for ever." You see, he was looking at these folk with their portion. But their portions is but a little time. They have their portion in this life. But what is that when compared with HE who is my portion. Forever.

Now we come to the crisis. How did he get to know this, where did he get this instruction. Verse 27, "For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. 28: But 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." We know in the New Testament how that is opened up. We have boldness and access in to the presence of God through the faith of Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ has made us nigh. The middle wall of partition is broken down. The vale is moved. And we can now go in a sense as this writer, Asaf never could. For he was dealing with a shadow tabernacle. And we are dealing with the true. But never the less, the shadow had its meaning. And when at last he said these words. "But 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." And the only place that Asaf could use the term to draw near was that place that God had already prescribed through Moses. The Holiest of all. He said, "There will I meet with thee. And commune with thee. From above the mercy seat. And the mercy seat to us is re-translated in the New Testament by the word "atonement". And you and I have accessed in to the presence of God himself though the mediation of Christ Jesus. And it is there they we sit in His presence and get the answer to his problem and to our own.

Hopefully this makes the answer clear. For man does not live on bread alone, oh no, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.