Biblical Wrestling

Transcript

the amount of fires that are going on in Canada and have been around the world and it seems to be getting closer and closer to home makes you think of some of the verses from um II Peter

um about you know you know Peter's talking about God cleanse the the Earth with the flood and next time it's coming with fire

um and literally things are burning but that's not our class tonight tonight um uh it's wrestling with authority and this is a class four of a series I gave on wrestling with doubts

um

and you know I can't get too much into it but let me um just let's see if this works

let's start with this scenario just to to get your minds where this class came from

um and you can pretend I'm the good looking guy in the white shirt there let's say somebody comes to you

a brother or sister or young person and they say to you um

I don't know if I believe anymore

um I'm struggling with my faith

uh

and they're obviously you know wrestling

with God they're wrestling with their faith they're wrestling with their belief and it can be very nuanced

but I've been hearing this more and more frequently the last couple of years and some uh dear brothers and sisters have walked away from

uh the truth

and I I was never confronted with this question no actually I have been

um

and it's one of those situations where because you're not prepared you trip over yourself

maybe you make light of it maybe you think you know this will go away on its own uh you don't have the answers and so when I started this study it was because I wanted I wanted something to say I wanted uh

you know and let me just use this as an example in First Peter 3 verse 15. it says but

um but sanctify the Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear and we usually take that verse and say you know sharing the hope you know preaching to people who don't have a hope but maybe it's also for brothers and sisters who are struggling to have an answer for the hope why are we hanging on why are we uh you know continuing in our path in our faith and building it despite you know many of the things that have gone on in our lives and so the the whole series was to try to develop some sort of a reasoning some sort of a

um you know are reaching out to people using scripture as an example and and I came across Psalm 73 which I think is is a beautiful framework for engaging somebody in a conversation it doesn't have all the answers and when people doubt it can be very nuanced

and I don't want to didn't want to approach this sort of naively

um but recognizing there's many reasons people doubt

um but I still think there are things in Psalm 73 that you can use as a foundation for helping people

um and so in in the first class we looked at uh we would if we'd done this in Psalm 73 we look at the doubts that arose in asaf's life and asaf's the one who wrote Psalm 73. and we also look at how God allowed Psalm 73 to be in the Bible and it really paints a beautiful picture of her heavenly father who says I know humans I know you're going to doubt I mean we could probably count how many times in the Bible it says trust me you know be courageous

you know if it says that because he knows we're going to doubt he knows we're going to struggle and he's not afraid of that and so he allows Psalm 73 to be there and some of some other places when you think of job and habakkuk and Jeremiah some of the challenges to God and he allows that to be there because he knows that we're going to struggle but he also provides a way out or a way to wrestle with those doubts

um

and so this class is really dealing with authority and wrestling with authority as one

possible reason people may doubt God

and it's interesting that asaph wrote Psalm 73 because he's a descendant of Korah

and we know the the people of Korra challenged Moses they questioned his authority back in number 16. and here's asaph and he's perhaps questioning God's Authority if we look at verse 11 of Psalm 73. now he's referring to what the wicked say but you can see in those first few first

um you know 15 16 verses he's wrestling he's thinking about leaving

and in verse 11 it says and they say how does God know and is there knowledge in the most high you know that's a real question of authority does he even know what's going on you know sometimes students will do that in school you know or even with their parents they don't even know what I'm doing you know you know they question their Authority and you get that sense that ASAP is as well in the New Living Translation it says what does God know they ask does the most high even know what is happening you know that's a real challenge to our Heavenly Father

um

and so this class is about you know looking at that that idea of questioning Authority and so let's let's start with this question

um

who do you submit to and that can be a very provocative question who do you submit to in our society in the western Democratic individual individualistic Society

that's a question a lot of people I don't submit to anyone you know

um

people don't like to think of the idea of submission as being a uh something we should be doing in fact in wrestling I don't know if any wrestlers out there or in um what's the new sport the Octagon you know you submit when you submit you lose right

um

but a lot of people if you read that who do you submit to some people would really shiver at that I don't submit to anyone

but I think this is a human problem

and I and once again I realized that this can be uh painful for some people and some of the things that people have gone through

um

here are some things that have come up in the past couple of years you know when Donald Trump was elected there were protests and people said not my president you know I'm not giving him Authority in my life uh just recently with King Charles people said nope not my king and you're seeing more and more of that uh people rebelling against Authority and saying nope nobody stood outside my classroom yet with a sign that says not my teacher but I'm sure those days are coming

but we do see in society this challenge of authority and it's this persistent struggle

um

we see it we can see it with parents children to parents you know children should be submissive to their parents and we see that in Ephesians chapter one you know parents are the ones that tell kids when to get up when to go to bed what to wear what you're going to have for dinner and for the most part that that works well uh as a school teacher I can tell you that it is a disaster when children are no longer under the authority of their parents and we do have children who hold authority over their parents it's very clear and it's also a disaster we have to say when parents abuse that power and we see examples of that as well yet in Ephesians 6 verse 1 we'll just flip there because we're going to flip through a couple passages here about Authority

in Ephesians 6 verse 1 it says children obey your parents and the Lord for this is right so there is a position of authority there in a position of submission

Masters and bosses we all have uh employers and some of us are employees

and submission can be hard sometimes when I went down to San Diego I had to ask permission to take three days off

and was told you probably and I had already committed to going to San Diego um and um my my boss said you're probably not going to able to go and that sort of struck me how dare you tell me where I can go and if I can go no this is but they were right I was the employer employee

um and they do have that authority over me to say whether I can take that day off or not fortunately

um I was able to get that time off and we know that from passages like first Peter 2 Verse 18 and then Ephesians 6 verse 5 it says Bond servants and we could read employees be obedient to those who are your Masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling and sincerity of heart as to Christ

not with eye Service as men Pleasers but as Bond Servants of Christ so you know you are in submission and accepted and sometimes we don't like that we're told in Romans 13 verses one to seven and in First Peter 2 verses 13 to 17 that were to submit to governments

uh and we all know that that can be very difficult at times and obviously if the government is asking us to do something that

contradicts what our heavenly father has asked us to do then we would

um refuse to do that but in general we're not asked to do too many things that that go against that and there's that principle of submission the authority

um here's a tough one lots of landmines here so we're just going to skip on to Ephesians chapter 5 verse 21 no I'm just kidding uh wives to husbands um no there is that those verses in there that talk about that now once again in all these situations

you know the expectation is that the parents are being christ-like that the bosses

uh that the government that the husbands

um are behaving in in a proper manner similar to the government if the government is asking us to do things or our bosses are asking us to do things or our parents are asking us to do things that go against God's will against his ways that are a Sin then we don't do them

um

and then in Ephesians 5 verse 21 it says um submitting to one another in the fear of the Lord so there is this principle in the Bible about submission to Authority and that there is Authority

so the question I guess we have to ask is why

um is falling under somebody else's Authority such a challenge for us as humans I think it's a human challenge

you know why is it that we just it irks us sometimes when we have to fall into submission whether it's to one another in the Ecclesia sometimes to parents sometimes to our bosses sometimes the government why is that well I think you know number one

is that we have lots of examples of bad leadership

um so just as an example let's pick on the British sorry cliff and Julia so um we're familiar with um

oh I can't remember his name now the guy with the crazy hair

um and he

um prime minister of the UK and during the lockdowns you know everyone had to stay at home no parties

lockdowns and then they found out that he was having parties and without a mask on everything he was asking people to do he had broken and so when you see that kind of leadership you know I'm going to fall under the authority of that person we see it in businesses you know people

um

you know stealing from people uh forgery

you know

using the money for their own gain and and yeah you know ripping off

um contractors ripping off people who have invested and so once again we we get skeptical about Authority

we see it in you know different churches different religions all of a sudden you know this high profile preacher well all of a sudden um be found out for some of the things that they're doing whether it's with money or with uh immorality whatever it is in their whole

um

their whole churches Fall Apart and they've used that Authority they've abused it

and so people become skeptical once again about falling under somebody else's Authority they they mistrust they

um leaders and then we see you know another example is just and we see seem to see more and more examples of bad parenting

so bad leadership well what's another reason we start to question whether we should fall under Authority well I think the growth of individualism we live in in um in in the western world where Community has basically collapsed the idea of community and doing things for others and putting a Community First

we have

individual autonomy the growth of individualism if it doesn't benefit me why should I do it

um

and there's this just this sense of Pride I know what's best for me and I'll do what's best for me uh I'm the author of my life and that's where that word Authority comes from that's sort of an interesting interesting point about Authority you know asking who is the author of my life

and ultimately ultimately the question is God the author of my life

or am I the author of my life do I get to write my own script

um just the idea of questioning everything well how will this benefit me and you know I don't ask how this is going to help others I'm going to ask how is this going to help me I think at a can

uh in the Babylonian garments and the silver and the gold and they were told nobody takes anything and a can have that individualistic idea well that's not going to be what about me I want the gold I want the silver I want a benefit he put himself above others

um

and the other thing I think is a big Challenge and why we struggle with authority is sometimes when you're under Authority you have to do things that you don't like

and sometimes you have to do things that you might not understand okay think about a child

and the parent gives a you know an instruction of something they have to do and they may not understand it

uh and maybe they don't like it but if they're under the authority of the parents they do it

um and I think C

is really challenging when it comes to scripture

because I think for the most part if we read our Bibles carefully and if we really take it to heart

sometimes we're asked to do things we don't like

or that are hard

and sometimes we're asked to do things that maybe we don't understand

at this point in time

and so we don't really want to come under the authority of it

um

and so that really comes to to this question

because we want to ask does this sort of this distaste for submission

this unwillingness to fall under Authority does it infect our spiritual lives

does it in fact our willingness to come under God's Authority or Christ's Authority

um and I've just listed some some different passages

where we are asked some difficult things

um and they all most of them come from The Sermon on the Mount because there have been people who have read The Sermon on the Mount and have

have really had difficulties with it because of the submission it requires to come under the authority in The Sermon on the Mount you have to remember it says Jesus was coming preaching the kingdom of the god the kingdom of God

and so he's preaching this Kingdom that's coming the good news

and he's telling us basically how to prepare for this Kingdom

and so much of what he's asking us to do is asking us to submit under this kingship and just some of these things really go against human nature and so just to we'll go through these fairly quickly in Matthew chapter 5. verse 43. you have heard what it says you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy but I say do you love your enemies just stop there love your enemies

like our

that's such a difficult thing

to come under that authority to say okay Jesus is my king and I'm going to listen to him even to the point of loving my enemies and it goes beyond that doesn't it because if you keep reading it says but I say do you love your enemies bless those who curse you do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you

coming under that kind of authority where you say okay you know I may not like it but you're my king and I'm going to do that

I'm going to do that even though it's going to be hard and I don't want to I'm going to come under your Authority

uh Matthew chapter 6 verse 12. uh

forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and then if you go down to verse 14 for if you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly father will also forgive you but if you do not forgive men their trespasses neither will your father forgive your trespasses

once again like take that to heart meditate on it for that absolute forgiveness because I'm sure there's all in all of our Lives people that no just can't do that sorry Jesus you're not my king I'm not coming under your Authority on that one

difficult

if he's our King we come under his authority this isn't uh you know a democracy that we're heading into with the future Kingdom we are to take him as our King

um

Matthew chapter 6 verse 25. it says therefore I say to you do not worry about your life do not worry about your life this is one that I put in there because I struggle with this I worry a lot I'm a worrier

um and three times verse 25 31 verse 34 our King is telling us don't worry you know put your trust in me believe in God trust God don't worry and there's other places when we read the Bible we we come across these all the time these challenges

that say are you King John

or is Christ King

uh Philippians 2 verses 3 through 4 esteem others better than yourself how often do we actually do that is steaming others better than yourself

and there's many others asking us you know to be sober to be sexually pure to submit to deny yourself to take up your cross all these challenges in some people just some examples Frederick Nietzsche he said he hated the softness of The Sermon on the Mount

he said Christianity is weak it's ill-constituted

he said Jesus devalues every characteristic he loved

you know Nietzsche read this and said I'm not going to submit to this King I don't want to follow this King

another uh writer Ayan Rand she said it's prescription the prescription of the uh sermon on the mail she said it's among the vilest things ever uttered she said it's poison

because it challenged her and she's like she was not giving up her Authority now we might not have a strong statement like that but maybe doubts arise and I think I think it it has arisen and they do arise people say you know the Bible's a an old book uh it's got outdated ideas

what are people doing when they say that what they're doing is they're saying I know more than the Bible our culture knows more than the Bible we figured things out we're not coming under its Authority or they say the Bible has been corrupted over the years once again I've decided

you know the experts have decided this is not something that we should be submissive to

here's a challenging one for all of us

you know I agree with most of what the Bible says

maybe we even say you know what I agree with everything except for one one section of the Bible you know maybe just one verse there's one verse I just can't no can't do it you know what are we saying

when we say things like that

what we're saying is I have authority over what's acceptable and what's not acceptable in the Bible I get to decide and we haven't come under the authority of the Bible when we do that

that's how challenging this can be you know do we come under the king's Authority

because if we don't if we say you know I agree with Jesus on this and this but not that then we haven't come under his authority

um some people say no one can agree on what the Bible is actually saying so therefore I don't have to I get to decide what I follow what I don't follow

so those are some of the challenges

um but what I want to do

is to say you know that's not where we want to be we don't want to be in a position when Christ comes back to say you know what I kind of accept your Authority on a few things

you know what does it say it says every knee will bow

uh we want to be there we want to to accept

Christ's Authority when he comes and so I just want to go through some things with the time remaining that can perhaps help us uh when we're trying to to understand Authority and submission and to truly see that our heavenly father and his son are the authority figures we want to come under we want to give our whole lives to them

and so I think number one I think there's three that we'll go through here number one is if we're questioning if we're doubting we're struggling with authority and submission number one consider the consequences of leaving God's authority of leaving his son's Authority so ASAP did that and if we go back to Psalm 73 verses 17 through 19. um he's going through all these struggles and then verse 17 he says you know verse end of verse 16 it was too painful for me until I went into the sanctuary of God then I understood their end

surely you have set them in Slippery places you cast them down to destruction oh how they are brought to Desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrors

you think about ASAP and perhaps he's looking back at that incident in number 16. where Cora days and the Byron have questioned the authority of Moses and in an instant

uh I think Cora's family has moved away

um but in an instant the Earth opens up and swallows uh is it dathan in a Byram swallows them up as it says you set them in Slippery places you cast them down to destruction you're

how they are brought to Desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrors

um

and it's also interesting that he went into the sanctuary of God when he went into the sanctuary of God this is when he figured things out and back in number 16 one of the things they did with the incense sensors of the the rebels is they pounded them out into a covering I think it was for the ark

so maybe he goes into the sanctuary and he sees those coverings and he's reminded oh yeah

I almost rebelled against my heavenly father and the example has been there of what happens when people rebel

now people rebel against our heavenly father all the time and they're not swallowed up in a hole miraculously in in an instant

but I think there are other examples of what happens when people do leave the authority of God so

just quickly in Genesis chapter 3 and 4 when uh first in chapter 3 when Adam and Eve

decide to come out from under God's Authority and they go their own way

um

look at verse 7 through 11 of Genesis 3. it says the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings

so all of a sudden they know that there's there's a fear there they're covering themselves and they heard the sound of the Lord God Walking In The Garden in the cool of the day and Adam and his wife hid themselves so they're

they're um you know anxious they're they're concerned they're scared

um

then the Lord God Called to Adam and said where are you and so he said I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself listen to those words I was I was afraid I was naked this sense of exposure this this sense of a lack of security so they went from being in this garden and it sounds like walking with God every day and the sense of security and they left God's Authority and now they're naked they're afraid they're filled with anxiety they don't have Solutions

and I think when we look at our culture it's the same

um no just a couple other examples came when Cain refused to come under God's Authority and in Genesis chapter four look at verse 13 and 14. it says and Cain said to the Lord my punishment is greater than I can bear surely you've driven me out this day from the face of the ground I shall be hidden from your face I shall be a fugitive and Vagabond on the earth and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me go through examples throughout the Bible when people leave the authority of God and that safety net and it's always anxiety it's always a loss of sense of security it's always fear

and then

we go to our culture

and we look at our culture that is left of the authority uh of God the Bible is no longer regarded as anything that should be listened to

and what do we see you know put

put our culture under the microscope and what do you see you see a world of anxiety a world of fear

you know people don't know the fires at our work the staff members are all of a sudden talking like if we're around in five years and they say it kind of jokingly but there's a hint of of uncertainty of fear in their in their lives

um but mankind has said you know we're going to be the author of Our Lives

um they've established their own moral ethics their own sexual ethics they've redefined marriage they've redefined gender they've redefined what a family is

they've erased this concept of an objective truth

and you just have to stand back and look and ask you know how's that working for you you've left God's Authority you said you don't want it you don't need it

you know put it under the microscope how is that working for you we have an anxious we have a depressed desperate fearful world

I would say it's not working so well there's um passage I want to read this is from the message hopefully it's okay I can read from the message it's from first John 2 verse 15 through 17. um and it says don't love the world's ways don't love the world's Goods

love of the world squeezes out love for the father practically everything that goes on in the world wanting your own way wanting everything for yourself wanting to appear important has nothing to do with the father it just isolates you from him the world and all its wanting wanting wanting is on the way out but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity and so I think it just paints a good picture of the difference between coming under your own authority and coming under God's Authority

so that's the first one

if we're doubting it for questioning do I really want to be under God's Authority consider the consequences of leaving follow things through to their logical end

the second one is to consider the blessings of coming under his authority there's just a couple short Parables I want to read and you do get

um

two different things that happen so what the first ones in Matthew chapter 13. and so we're going to have two Parables and uh and an interaction with Jesus so Matthew chapter 13 verse 44 and 45. here it says again the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field which a man found in head and for Joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field again the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls

who when he found one pearl of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it

so this is about the kingdom of the kingdom of God the kingdom of heaven and two men come across something of tremendous value they recognize it's tremendous worth

and it says with joy they go and sell everything to have it it doesn't say they went and sold everything and then they had choices with joy

they went and sold everything

to have it

so that's the first one just keep that in mind we'll go to Mark chapter 10. verse 17 to 22. Mark chapter 10 starting at verse 17. now as he was going out on the road one came running knelt before him and asked him good teacher what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life now I would say this is a lot like that man who found the treasure in the field here's somebody who runs to Jesus they obviously see there's some worth in this man Jesus he's a good teacher

he says good teacher what shall I do to inherit eternal life

and then just like that man who found the treasure he assesses it and he's pulling out all these jewels and coins and whatever was there and here's this man he's assessing he's listening to Christ so Jesus said to him why do you call me good no one is good but one that is God

you know the Commandments do not commit adultery do not murder do not steal do not bear false witness do not defraud honor your father and your mother and he answered and said to him teacher all these things I have kept from my youth then Jesus looking at him loved him and said to him one thing you lack

go your way sell what whatever you have

and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come take up the cross and follow me but he was sad at this word and went away sorrowful for he had great possessions

so he runs to Jesus he sees this worth and during his assessment of Jesus his assessment of this treasure he's told to sell everything just like those are they went with joy and sold everything he's told go sell everything and follow me

and it says he left sorrowful because he had great possessions

so two in the first Parables sell everything with joy this rich man walks away in great sadness

now this Parable isn't just about riches

um

Dennis Gillette Gillett uh in his book The Genius of discipleship I think he puts it he puts it perfectly

he says Christ could see that in spite of his aspirations this man was Mastered by his wealth no man can serve two masters if you have surrendered to one force you cannot be Mastered by another here's the point what he really lacked was the right master so he was really unwilling to come under the authority of Christ

um

back in Psalm 73 and in the those the parable of the the great the treasure and the great Pearl

there's a recognition of a treasure

Psalm 73 . listen to asaph's words when he realizes the treasure that is before him

he says

verse 25 whom have I in heaven but you and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides you My Flesh and my heart fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever for indeed those who are far from You Shall Perish you've destroyed all those who desert you for harlotry 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 your works

they recognized the value of what they had

um there's a couple other passages that we could go to where Paul considered the treasure I don't know if we have time but in these two places in Philippians 3 Verses 4 through 11. um Paul had he had a tremendous treasure in his life he was

um you know he had status he had power he had prestige he had wisdom knowledge he would have been coveted by other Jews you know the position of Paul and it says when he counted it up

you know he accounted it he tallied it all up and he said it was rubbish compared to the Excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus you know I think one way we can really work on submitting to God accepting that Authority is to count it up to see what he's offering us in another place Romans 8 verse 18 he says he reckons I think it's in the King James he reckons or he considers and once again it's to take inventory and he comes to the conclusion there's there's nothing that can be compared to what God has offered

so the command is with joy go and sell with joy give up the authority in our own lives and say I accept the authority of my heavenly father

um and so let's just assess the treasure just a few verses this is the treasure that's before us in second Peter 1 verse four through five by which he has granted us his precious and very great promises so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature think of that that's the treasure come under God's Authority and here's the Treasure partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire

Revelation 21 here's the treasure he will wipe away every tear from their eyes and Death Shall be no more neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore for the former things have passed away

you know picture us we we found this treasure in this field and we're going through all these Treasures

first Thessalonians 4 16 for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command with the voice of an archangel and with the sound of the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first

there's no there's no greater treasure these are things he's offering us as our as our King

um

one more that I find this verse absolutely beautiful when you think about the chaos in our world this is the work of righteousness will be peace in the effect of righteousness quietness and Assurance forever absolutely beautiful

um

yeah let me just back up for a second here

um

and so just just a an exhortation to to continue to read to continue to meditate to continuing classes like this if we're not reading the Bible if we're not thinking about it if we're not hearing classes the value of that treasure is going to dissipate it's not going to be in the Forefront of our minds you know when you don't spend time with something it it lowers itself in value so we have to keep this treasure that we've found hi uh right in the front of our minds we have to meditate on it often and listen to it

um

the third thing so the first one was consider what happens if we leave his authority follow that through to its logical end

and the disaster then consider the The Treasure of coming under God's Authority and finally it's just to come under his authority and

we've looked at there's going to be blessings in the future in that Kingdom but there's Blessings Now

um and I may have done some of this uh

for the Bible class in the past I can't remember if it was here or not but social sciences are are discovering all these things about

um what's good for humans and it's kind of interesting when you put it all together what they're finding so

um this is the Mayo Clinic and they say religious involvement

spirituality and Medicine it was an article and they said this most Studies have shown that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with Better Health outcomes including greater longevity coping skills and health-related quality of life even during terminal illness and less anxiety depression and suicide

and so you know you think about God says do not let us not give up coming together you know this idea that we need to be together we need to worship and here they're finding like hey that's actually good for you

um

a reason to believe this is from the American Psychological Association religion may fill the human need for finding meaning sparing us from existential angst while also supporting social organizations so it can save us from this this angst that we see quite often in a

people nowadays

religious faith can lead to positive mental benefits rights Stanford anthropologist

um be humble and proudly so be proud about your humility humility is not the boldest of personality traits but it's an important one studies find

eight reasons why ah makes your life better

what are the benefits of forgiving someone and it just lists healthier relationships improved mental health less anxiety lower blood pressure fewer symptoms of depression

it just goes on the science of generosity giving thanks can make you happier so the blessings of coming under his authority you know our heavenly father created us

and so he just like if somebody made a watch or you know a computer or a car

they know what how to maintain it what's best for it well everyone her Heavenly Father made us he knows what's best for us so why not do those things

um he's given us all these instructions uh

and he's not a harsh task master these are things that are good for us

um

so just to conclude

we need to come under his authority we need to be happy to do so

and it's true that sometimes we may not understand what God is asking us to do and we may not always like what he's asking us to do but if he's going to be our heavenly father and his son is going to be our King we need to come under that Authority and that's what asaph concludes with and I read it uh

just a few minutes ago but I'll conclude with that again verses 25 through 28 because this is what uh asa's conclusion was through all his doubts and struggles

his conclusion was this whom have I in heaven but you there is none upon Earth that I desire besides you My Flesh and my heart fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever for indeed those who are far from You Shall Perish you have destroyed all those who desert you for harlotry 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 your works

just that closing thought I put my trust in the Lord God