Thank you for listening to Servants for Christ. In all that we do, in all that we say, we want to give glory and honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for tuning us in as we get into the wonderful Word of God. For the next few minutes, let's take the beautiful Word of God and share it with each and every one of you as we have a sense of anticipation to take the Word of God and to listen to its truth for each and every one. I'm Darrell Bailey. Thank you for tuning us in. Service for Christ. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. Take your Bibles over to Psalms chapter 73. Psalms chapter 73. When we look at this Psalm, It talks to us about when you see the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper. Why do the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper? It's impossible to understand. Perhaps more than any single factor, it jolts the faith of people across the globe and the world. It just does not seem right. The Bible teaches that God blesses the righteous and judges the wicked, and yet it so often appears that the ungodly prosper more and suffer less than the godly. but from good people who seem to have more than their share of troubles, to faithful believers who are attacked by criminals, to Christians who are persecuted and martyred for their faith, the suffering of the righteous does not make sense to any of us. It was exactly this dilemma that prompted the writing of Psalms 73. It was the first of Book 3 of Psalms, the first of a section of 11 Psalms attributed to Aesop, one of the three chief musical directors in David's court, an outstanding singer, percussionist, who also authored Psalms 50, 1 Chronicles 15, verses 16 through 19, and 1 Chronicles 16, verses 4 through 7, and verse 37, and 1 Chronicles 25, verse 1. You see, Psalm 73 is the last of three psalms that address the suffering of the righteous and the prosperity of the wicked. Without question, the counsel of all of the previous psalms is immeasurably profitable. However, what God teaches us through Esau lends a sense of closure to the subject because the understanding of life's perplexing dilemmas is found only in the presence of God. because he said in Psalms 73 verse 17, until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end. Oh, man, when our faith is shaken by the wicked things occurring in this world, we need to draw near to Him. And this is when you see the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper. And so, Verse 1 tells us that we've got to stand on God's Word. Amen. I want to talk to you about when your perception shapes your vision. When your perception shapes your vision. I'm glad that we got to stand on the Word of God. Amen. And I'm glad that he tells us in verse one of Psalm 73. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death, but their strength is firm. They're not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore, pride compasses them about as a chain. Violence cover them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness. They more than heart could wish. They are corrupt and speak wickedly concerning oppression. They speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore, his people return hither and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. And they say, how doeth God know? And is their knowledge in the most high? Behold, these are the ungodly who prosper in the world. They increase in riches. Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain, washed my hands in Innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning. If I say I will speak thus, behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me, until I went into the sanctuary of God. Then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places, thou castest them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrors, as a dream when one awaketh. So, O Lord, when Thou awakest, Thou shalt despise their image. Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my veins of reins. So foolish was I and ignorant. I was as a beast before Thee. Verse 23 Nevertheless, I am continually with Thee. Thou hast holded me by my right hand. In verse 24, thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. In verse 26, my flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Verse 27, for though they that are far from thee shall perish, thou hast destroyed all them that go ahore and from thee. Now listen to the very last one of verse 28. This is my highlight verse of what I'm talking about. Your perception shapes your vision. Listen to what I'm fixing to read. 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. Father, we come before you seeking your wisdom and guidance. Forgive us of our sins. Help us to see clearly from your perspective, not our own. Guard our hearts and minds against the doubts and the distractions of this world. Equip us with the armor of God. as we navigate life's challenges. Open our hearts as we explore your word today, and may we leave knowing that we've got a renewed trust in you, Lord, knowing that your word refreshes us. It gives us that calm, still water that, Lord, that we can drink from that will be the spiritual nourishment that will lift up our aching hearts and let us be able to move forward, even when we know that we're living in a time when you see the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper. In Jesus's marvelous mighty name, amen. When we read verse one, we see how that we've got to stand on God's word because he said, truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart. We've got to stand on the word of God. Although Aesop was struggling with suffering of the righteous and the prosperity of the wicked, he determined to stand on the clear teaching of God's holy word. God is good to his people. He's good to all who are of a clean heart. The psalmist said that he hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lifted up his soul under vanity nor sworn deceitfully. Truly, in the most important word, this first verse that it emphasizes that in spite of how things may appear God is good to his people and I'm glad that The pure clean heart the significance that it means more than clean-minded It means totally being committed to God. You see the truth of God's Word is not determined by our experiences and observations. God's word is true regardless of how things appear. Satan's oldest trick is to cast doubt on God's word. And this is exactly what he did with Eve in the Garden of Eden. He twisted God's command to abstain from eating of the tree of knowledge, leading Eve to question God's goodness. And in the same fashion, He uses the injustices of this world to tempt us to question God's Word and character. And like Jesus, when He was tempted, we must stand firm on God's Word, using it to resist Satan. God's Word is absolute truth. Whatever happens, it will stand, it will endure forever, and we must never allow ourselves to be moved from or to doubt what it says, regardless of our experiences or feelings. God is good to His people, and to all who are pure in heart. Amen. I'm glad. You know, one day, six blind men decided to visit a zoo. They hired a guide to describe the animals that they couldn't see. Oh, is that a hippopotamus? Oh, that's a zebra? That's a giraffe? They hired a guide as he described all of these things. When they reached the elephant, the guide let each man touch a different part of the animal. And the first blind man felt the tail and he said, the elephant is like a big rope. And the second touched her leg and said, no, it's like a tree. And another fell on the side said, well, the elephant is a big old wall. One by one, each described the elephant based on their limited perspective. This is exactly the situation. that we find in Psalms chapter 73. Aesop, the psalmist, was confused by what he saw. He focused on the success of the wicked and the struggles of the righteous and became discouraged like all of us today. But the problem was one of perspective. Where he stood determined what he saw. And like the blind man, we often misinterpret our situations because we stand in the wrong place. But once Asap stepped into God's presence, hallelujah, glory, praise his mighty name. Once he stepped into God's presence, his entire view shifted. And I'm glad that here We look at how where you stand determines what you see in your walk with God. And so I'm glad that your perception shapes your vision. Where are you standing at today that determines what you see in your walk with life? Are you seeing all of the wicked prosper and the godly not? We see Aesop's education, what he knew. Aesop starts the psalm with the truth that he had been taught. God is good to Israel, especially to those with a pure heart. This was the foundation of his faith, praise God. And so I'm glad that he started out and he stood on God's word that he said, Truly, God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. Amen. God blesses his people. Psalms 84 11 says, For the Lord God is a sun and a shield, and the Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Aesop was taught that God blesses those who walk in his ways. Not only God blesses his people, but God blesses the pure. Because we're told, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. The purity of heart was central to the blessing of Aesop's understanding. And so we see Aesop's education, what he knew. But also we see Aesop's experience, what he saw. Because in verses two through 16, here we confess our struggle and lack of understanding to God, amen. Because when we do that, every one of us as we go through life today, we begin to realize what God wants to do. We confess that we're tempted to slip back because we envy the prosperity, the pleasures, and the possessions of the wicked in verses 2 through 12. What Asap could not understand, the prosperity of the wicked seriously threatened his faith. He openly confessed that he was strongly tempted to slip back from following the Lord. He had stood firm in his confidence in God and His goodness, but the prosperity of the wicked troubled him so grievously that he nearly slipped from the right path. And I'm glad that verse 2 said, but as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had well nigh slipped. He became envious of the foolish, the proud, the arrogant people who exalt themselves and their selfish desires over God's righteous commands. But I'm glad that he told us in verse 3, for I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Aesop observed their easy lives. It seemed that the ungodly were exempt from the struggles of life and the bands of death. Oh, that he said in verse four, for there are no bands in their death, but their strength is firm. You know what? When we look at the word bands of death, It means fetters or chains. The wicked somehow appeared to avoid the bondage of pain, of affliction that the righteous suffer even in their deaths. They were well fed. Their bodies were healthy and strong. They lived free of life's ordinary burdens and problems. From his perspective, they were immune to hardship because what did we read in verse five? He said, they are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued like other men. But even more unjust to Aesop was this fact. The easy lives of the wicked spawned more pride in their sinful hearts because they wore their rebellion against God's commands like a medal of honor around their necks, showing little restraint. They clothed themselves with their violence, with their homosexuality, with their lesbianism, with their cruelty and ugliness, their criminal acts against others. In spite of this, they seem to have everything their hearts could desire. But their eyes stand out and bulge out with fatness, symbolizing their abundance of money and possessions that we read In verse 7, Aesop continued to describe the despicable behavior of those corrupt lives. They used their tongues for evil. They scoffed and spoke maliciously, threatened others. In verse 8, they even cursed and spoke against God Himself. And Aesop painted a graphic picture of their boasting, speaking, despicable, arrogant tugs fearfully strutting across the face of the earth. And they proudly paraded their wickedness and they openly intimidated everybody they encountered as if they were untouchable. And as the wicked spread their verbal poison throughout the land, many people foolishly believed that their false promises that he talked about in verse 10, therefore his people returned hither and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. Enticed by all of these deceivers' prosperous life, the people blindly followed after them. Waters of a full cup are wrung out to them, portray senseless, simple-minded people hardly drinking up all of those toxic waters that abundantly spewed out of the evil doers' vile mouths. With minds totally corrupted, these rebellious people reviled God, going so far as to question His existence and power in verse 11 that he said, And they say, How doeth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High? You see, how does God know? Does the Most High even have the knowledge He claims to have? Apparently, since they suffered no penalty for their misbehavior and its justice, they assured that one of three things must be true. God, did not see or know what they did. God was not powerful enough to stop them or punish them. God does not exist at all. Oh, how wrong they are. These are the ungodly, Aesop concluded. He said in verse 12, behold, these are the ungodly who prosper in the world and they increase in such riches. This is what the wicked are like. In spite of their behaviors, their, uh, all of their wickedness, God's holy law, they are always at ease. They lead carefree lives, and all of the while, their prosperity continues to increase. You know what? We see the intents of all of the experiences because Aesop in verses 13 down to verse 16 is brutally honest with God because of the prosperity of the wicked had thrust him into intense turmoil that he'd begun to question the very foundation of his faith, wondering if living for God was useless when he said this in verse 13. Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency. Day by day, he made every effort to walk righteously. He had turned away from the bright lights, from the pleasures, the perversions of this world. Was it all in vain? Did I ever tell you that I went, I've been to Holland twice. I went, I was there in the military and I was there in the private sector of the business world years later that I went back for a business endeavor. And you know what? I never saw more wickedness in all of the world. But now, when I look at the rest of the world, it's almost as I'm looking at the violence that is in Holland, in the Amsterdam area, where you walk down a glass and you see every imaginable wickedness that you could ever see. Oh my goodness, I saw the wickedness through the glass windows and I walked past them and I hurried up to get out of that section because it is the most vile wickedness of all in the world. All the day long, every morning, suggests that Aesop had been touched by a physical affliction, perhaps an ongoing incurable disease. And for some time, Aesop had kept his feelings bottled up within, causing severe mental and emotional stress. You ever got like that? You look at all of these folks out there that live like the devil? Well, man, they've had a silver spoon put in their mouth. They've been given everything, but eventually, let me tell you something, it will catch up with them. They're like the preacher's son that has been given everything that could ever be given, and they turn out to be what exactly? Nothing. Because they have throwed their lives away over junk. and they've lived their lives around all of the wrong people instead of clinging to the one that taught them the best, a father and mother that lived a life in front of them. And you know, as Aesop was the chief worship leader in Israel, he carefully considered his influence on others. If he talked about what he was feeling, he knew that he would offend God's people and he felt that he would betray the faith that had bound Israel throughout the generations, even to the current generation of the children, because what did he say in verse 15? He said, if I say I will speak thus, behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. But at the same time, however, trying to know or understand this, why God allowed the wicked to prosper while he suffered, kept him reeling in an and reeling and his mind began to turn and turn because what did he say in verse 16? When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me. You see, personal suffering can challenge our faith just as it did Aesop's. And this godly man of worship suffered every day with a serious affliction. Some severe trial that he felt was God's discipline in his life. And at the same time, he watched the wicked go about their foul business untouched by trouble. But listen, scripture does not condemn Aesop for having these feelings. One of the greatest lessons of Psalms is that we have the liberty to empty our hurting hearts at God's throne. I'm gonna say that again. Praise his mighty name. Glory, hallelujah. We have the liberty to empty our hurting hearts at God's throne. And I'm glad that lesson is taught here Because God is not weak, nor is He overly sensitive. He's powerful. He's understanding. He can handle our burdens. He can deal with our questions, even when we are not understanding what is happening. When we do not understand God's ways, when we lack wisdom about our trials, we can ask for God's help. What did James tell us? He said, Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations, knowing that it is the trying of your faith that worketh patience, that let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and braideth not, and it shall be given him. You see, Aesop's concern for God's people. As a leader, he did not speak of his struggles to other people, lest he betray their faith. Pastors and other leaders know what it's like to be unable to talk to others when their own faith is challenged. I do. I know exactly what that means. If individuals, they lead They learn of their questions and their doubts that they might lose confidence in their pastor or the leader, or they might, too, be tempted to slip in their faith. But at the same time, Aesop, none of us should keep our feelings bottled up within us indefinitely. When we struggle with questions like this or feelings that we cannot express to any other person, we can always tell them to Jesus. He knows, He understands our afflictions. He became one of us in order to intercede for us. And from the cross, He cried out to God, questioning why the Father had forsaken Him. Because what did He tell us in Matthew chapter 27? And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, That is to say, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Having suffered every trial, every temptation that we might face, Jesus is able to help us when we are tried. Because the Hebrew writer said, wherefore in all things it beloved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people for that he himself had suffered being tempted, he is able. Listen, he is able. I thank God when I pause on that, as he deals with our times that we go through, that he is able to do all things to bring us under that time of weakness and temptations and hurt and pain that it is because he's touched with the feelings of our infirmities and he invites us to come to him for help in our time of need, amen. And so I thank God he's touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but in all points tempted Like as we are yet without sin, he said, let us therefore come boldly under the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Boy, I'm gonna tell you, every one of us, we see Aesop's education, what he knew, Aesop's experience, what he saw, by the prosperity of the sinner, by the peace of the sinner as well, amen, and by the pleasure of the sinner. Aesop observed that the wicked enjoyed life without the hardships that plagued the righteous. But also, we see not only that we see Aesop's education, what he knew, and Aesop's experience, what he saw, but also Aesop's encounter, what he learned in God's presence. Because in Psalms chapter 73, verses 17 through 28, Aesop's perspective shifted when he went into the sanctuary of God, standing in God's presence, allowed him to see clearly that he moved from slippery ground to solid ground. Praise the mighty name of Jesus, amen. And so, when you enter the presence, when you enter the sanctuary of God, and when you listen to Him, His Holy Word, with His Spirit, In bondage to his negative feelings, Aesop went to the sanctuary of God, the place where his presence dwelled in a special way. Entering God's presence set Aesop free from the envy and the bitterness that gripped his soul. And as he bowed before the Lord, God spoke to his heart from his holy word. And by listening to God, Aesop learned four invaluable lessons that changed his perspective and his life. I'm glad in verses 17 through 20, he said you'll understand the wicked destiny because when Aesop entered God's holy sanctuary, praise God, his presence, the Lord lifted him above the injustices of this present world in order for him to see the destiny of the wicked, amen. Because he said in verse 17, until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I, their end. God gave them a clear understanding of the end of the ungodly, that they're on a slippery path to destruction in verse 18, that they will be destroyed by the Lord himself in verse 20. And not only will you understand the wicked's destiny, but you will learn, secondly, how wrong you are. Like Isaiah, the prophet's experience, Aesop's entering the Lord's holy presence caused him to see himself in a different light. Because he recognized how wrong he was in allowing God to be overcome by the negative thinking. Himself to be overcome by the negative thinking. And by saying that his heart was grieved, Asap was confessing that he had become bitter toward God. Because what did he say in verse 21? Thus my heart was grieved and I was pricked in my veins. He was. His heart was grieved. And so we see out of those four things that we learn that you will understand the wicked's destiny in verses 17 through 20. You'll learn how wrong you are in verses 21 and 22, but also this third thing, you will learn that you belong to God in verses 23 and 24 because Aesop realized a truth. Even though that he had slipped away from God, God had never left him. Hallelujah! He belonged to God. At his lowest moment, when he was bitter towards God, the Lord never let go of him. He held tightly onto Aesop's right hand, a picture of God's protection and direction. God guided him with his counsel. with his holy word, hallelujah. And so, what did we read in verse 24? He said, thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, afterward receive me to glory. Whoa, hallelujah. When Aesop strayed from the truth, God's word led him back, enlightening to his own foolishness, illuminating God's goodness and righteousness, and with his faith joyously renewed, Aesop declared that God's counsel would continue to guide him through the rest of his life. Praise his mighty name. God would receive him to glory, lead him to his holy presence. And I'm glad that was his glorious destiny. Amen. But fourthly, we see that you learn that God is enough and all you need in heaven and all you need in heaven and on earth, everything that you need, God's enough. And so in verses 25 down to verse 27, Aesop saved his most precious lesson for last. Being in God's presence overshadows all of the trials, all the injustices of life. Even as Aesop pondered the glories, I'm glad Aesop's encountered, he see what he learned in God's presence. Because Aesop's perspective shifted when he went into the sanctuary of God, standing in God's presence, allowed him to see clearly, and he moved from slippery ground to solid ground. Here, the future of a sinner, until I went into the sanctuary of God, then I understood their end. The wicked might prosper now, but Aesop realized their end is destruction. And so, to him, heaven is heaven because God is there. Entering God's presence had now brought complete satisfaction to his life, and he was able to say in all honesty that the only thing that he desired on earth was God. God is enough. He is all that matters. and he is all that we need. And I'm glad that in God's presence, Aesop found strength for his difficult life. He declared that though his flesh and heart, his health and spirit might fail. God would disdain him through his afflictions. Death held no power over him, for God was his portion forever. And I'm glad that we share an inheritance that Asa proclaimed that the Lord was his inheritance. When he died, he would live eternally in God's presence. The psalmist tells us in Psalm 16, the Lord is the portion of my inheritance in my cup, thou maintainest my lot. Focusing on the future enabled Aesop to accept the present reality, the prosperity of the wicked. And although he suffered affliction in this life, he had the splendid hope of living with God forever and ever and ever and ever. And the ungodly had no hope whatsoever, for God will destroy all who turn away from him. That he said in verse 27, for though they that are far from thee shall perish, Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. At times we all struggle with questions about God and why he allows things to happen as they do, both in our own lives and in the lives of others around the world. And there are many things that we simply cannot understand. The horrible things that we see that are happening in America and across the country, that are happening in the White House, that are happening with the media, that are happening in Hollywood, that are happening across the lives of families that are being disrupted and torn apart. But listen. no matter mentally, physically, emotionally, of all the questions of God's goodness and love, when this is our state of mind, only one thing can help us. When we enter God's presence, when we bow before God, when we reveal His goodness, and when we speak to our hearts as the Word and the Spirit comforts us and teaches us about Himself, we learn that He is all that we need and that His strength will empower us to deal with whatever difficulties come into our lives, and he will lead us to the realization that his presence in our lives is enough, and he will guide us back to the right path. Like Esau, we must look beyond the evils and the injustices of this world and focus on the future because God is absolutely righteous. He will judge the wicked, and the righteous, as difficult as their lives may be in the present, will spend eternity, listen, in His glorious presence. And the glory of God affects the whole way of life as we live because in the joy of God's love, in His mercy, in His patience, in His grace, in His forgiveness, we have hope that extends beyond this life to the future when God takes care of all of His children's needs. The inheritance of the wicked is everlasting destruction, desolation, but God is our portion, our share, our inheritance, and we will live with him forever. And so, as I close out, as we talked about Aesop's Education. What he knew. That he started with a psalm of the truth of the Word of God that had been taught to him. Aesop's experience of what he saw. Despite his knowledge, Aesop struggled because what he saw in life didn't match what he had been taught. The wicked seemed to prosper while the righteous suffered. But Aesop's encounter. What he learned in God's presence. Boy, I'm going to tell you something. Man, when we look at the future of the sinner, the foolishness of self that Aesop confessed that his doubts had been foolish in God's presence, he recognized his limited understanding, but also he saw the fullness of the Savior because Aesop understood that even in his confusion, God was with him. The presence of God was his greatest blessing. And so when we look at that last verse 28 of Psalm 73, 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." That's my highlight. Realizing that others struggled with the same issue that he did, Aesop determined to bear strong witness regarding what God had done in his life. Drawing near to God gave Aesop the right perspective on the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous by entering God's presence. He had learned to trust God. He is the Lord God, the sovereign Lord, praise his mighty name. and he gained the right perspective on who God was, the Lord God, Adonai Yahweh. a form of Yahweh, of Jehovah, that emphasizes our covenant-keeping God, the master of all things, controller of everything that takes place in our lives and in the world. He's the Lord God, the sovereign Lord. He's our refuge, praise His mighty name, because when we look, He tells us, He says, I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works, gaining the right perspective on God. gave Aesop the right perspective on the injustices of life, realizing that God is in control, enabling him to put his trust in him, to take refuge in him. And instead of struggling with the question of why he was suffered while the wicked prospered, he decided to rest in God, fully trusting the Lord to take care of him and to do what was right. And as a result, Aesop was able to say wholeheartedly that in spite of how things may appear, sometimes God is truly good to His people. Aesop's testimony is the great lesson of Psalm 73. When we're wrestling with the injustices of this world, we need to recognize who God is, trust Him to do what is right. He is our Lord, our personal God, with whom we have eternal relationship through His covenant. And as His children, through faith in Jesus Christ, He will take care of us. Paul said, for ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. And I'm glad that we're told to take no thought of what shall we eat or what shall we drink or with all that will be clothed. For all these things do the Gentiles. But I'm glad the Father knoweth what need of all these things that we have. When he says, Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. When we draw near to God, when we trust Him, When we gain the right perspective on the problems of life, like Aesop, we will then have a testimony that we can share with others and we can declare the work God has done in our lives and help others who are struggling to realize that God is always in control and can be trusted in all things. Aesop's story is a reminder that where we stand determines what we see. Your perception shapes your vision. And when we stand in our own understanding, we will always see through life. with distorted lenses, but when we stand in God's presence, when we look at life through his eyes, everything becomes clear. And like Aesop, we must learn to shift our perspective and our trust in God's ultimate goodness, even when life seems unfair. Where are you currently standing in your life? Are you on solid ground or are you on slippery ground? We need to examine whether or not we're relying on our understanding or standing firm in God's truth. Because if you're on slippery ground, you need to step in God's temple. You need to step in God's local assembly, the body of Christ. You need to step into God's presence for clarity. You know what? What does view in life from God's perspective show how that you see all of your current trials? When you see life from God's perspective, you understand that even trials have purpose and God is working all things out for our good. What steps can you take to shift your perspective from earthly to heavenly? I think that every time I get up and I start the day out with prayer, and the scriptures and worshiping and songs. I'm glad that it helps me focus on God's eternal truths rather than our temporary understanding. When I look at my wife and her health and see how she suffers, and I look at other people, how death and how things have come recently in our lives and how we suffer, I continue to look further beyond that into a heavenly realm that we've been given an eternal perspective. I hope and pray that as we close out that your perception shapes your vision when you begin to look and you see things that look unfairly like Aesop did, when you see the righteous suffering and the wicked prosper, that you can answer the exact question that was taking place in the life of Aesop when he came to the conclusion to be strong for God that he said, but it is good for me to draw near to God. I put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all thy works. Father. We stand in your presence daily, and we view life through your eyes. Forgive us for the times that we've doubted you, when we've questioned your goodness. Guide us in trusting you, no matter what we see in this world. Keep our hearts fixed on your eternal promises. And may we never forget that you are always with us, holding us by your right hand, in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. you