Turn with me to Psalm 73, Psalm 73, as we read together the chapter, considering verses 23 and 24 as the text this morning. Psalm 73, hear now the word of God. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped. I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles. Their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man. They are not plagued by human ills. Therefore, pride is their necklace. They clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity. The evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff and speak with malice. In their arrogance, they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore, their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, how can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge? This is what the wicked are like. Always carefree. They increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure. In vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued. I have been punished every morning. If I had said I would speak thus, I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God. Then I understood their final destiny. Surely you placed them on slippery ground. You cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors. As a dream, when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you. You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward, you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you, and earth has nothing I desire beside you? My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish. You destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the sovereign Lord my refuge, I will tell, of all your deeds. The text, once again, verses 23 and 24, Yet I am always with you. You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel. And afterward, you will take me into glory. Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, as you already know, as a congregation, we have been brought once again face to face with death. As one of the elders of this congregation, Our brother in the Lord, Fred DeYoung, has been taken by the hand of God from this life and ushered into God's glorious presence. And indeed, any time a member of our congregation dies to this life and enters into the glory of the next life, this whole family of God is affected. And it's never easy. Because not only will there be an empty chair in the Brower home, There's also an empty place here in our church family. But through death, beloved, we are reminded that this world is not our home. And we are reminded that this life is not the end of the matter. As well, we are, each one of us are being challenged. Boys and girls, young people, young adults, middle-aged, the elderly, whatever age bracket you fit in, each one of us is being challenged with regard to our faith. And like Asaph in Psalm 73, we are called to take our eyes off of the world and the things of the world and focus on our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm 73, as Dr. Godfrey taught us a couple of months ago in adult Sunday school, is indeed a psalm dealing with the believer's crisis of faith. As well, it is a psalm of comfort with a beautiful confession of Asaph in the text before us as well as the verses following our text. And each one of us, beloved, is being challenged as to if this is also our confession by the grace of God. This psalmist comes to us with the comfort of this psalm as he confesses once again, yet I am always with you. You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel. And afterward, you will take me into glory. These verses speak to us of the unfailing security of God's people. As we read, Asaph says in verse 1, Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. And not only is God good to His people, those who are committed to Him by grace through faith, He is their good. The very substance of their good. He is all that they need in life and in death for body and soul. And that means, beloved, that only the Christian, only the believer, can confidently confess God loves me and has a wonderful plan for my life. Only the believer can truly make that confession. And as verses 23 and 24 point out, that wonderful plan of unfailing security includes grace for life, for this life, for today, but also glory for eternity. Again, it's interesting, I think, the psalmist confesses the goodness of God to His people in verse 1. But then he goes on in verse 2 to say, but as for me, my feet had almost slipped. I had nearly lost my foothold. He had almost fallen away from God's goodness. Now, why is this? Well, he tells us himself. If we could paraphrase, we could say that because he started to look at the grass on the other side of the fence, as we say, and covet what he saw there. He looked to see how green that grass was. He began to take notice of all the things that the wicked, that unbelievers had, that seemed to look good. And this is the question that I believe Christians have continued to ask throughout the ages, maybe even some of us here. Why do the wicked, those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, why do they seem to have it so good in this life? They appear to have success, many of them. They appear to have health and wealth and prosperity and plenty of friends and they seem to have everything all together. We've heard them with our own ears mock God and profane His name and they get by with it. And in fact, for all of their wickedness and rejection of God, they continue to get richer and to prosper as Asaph says. Physical blessing seems to be on their side. The psalmist, as he says, is envious of the wicked and he says, And if many of us are honest, we will also admit that there have been times when we have envied and we have also said, have I been wasting my time? Have I been striving to keep my heart pure for nothing? What am I getting out of all of this? Is it all worth it? So often, deep down inside, Christians think that it is their new birthright to have all the good things in life and have every situation of life go well for them. After all, aren't we the ones who are at least trying to be obedient? The truth is many are falsely taught that very thing and they ignorantly believe that health and wealth gospel. But God doesn't promise that, does He? The truth is Christians do suffer. We do experience financial difficulties. And relationship hardships. Diseases do attack us. Death stings us. And we aren't always, if ever, healthy, wealthy, and wise. Persecution and temptation continue to assault us. And the antithesis, boys and girls, right versus wrong. Truth versus the lie. God versus Satan. The antithesis in the antithesis. The other side, the side of Satan and wrong and the lie, often makes this life very difficult for Christians. Jesus says, take up your cross and follow me. And the Bible in another place says, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But then the beauty here is that the psalmist is led by the power of the Holy Spirit to confess that no matter what the believer may experience in his life, no matter what. He has the goodness of God. And that goodness includes grace for life, for today, for tomorrow, and for every day. Again, as verse 23 in the first part of 24 says, Yet I am always with you. You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel. You see, beloved, the psalmist confesses that he enjoys the very presence of God. That's his possession. The presence of God. And not just now and then, not just once in a while, but continually. There is never any interruption. And you know, that's true comfort for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. In this life, we enjoy the never-ending presence of God through His Spirit. Christ sent His Spirit, we know, as a down payment. Now boys and girls, if you don't know what a down payment is, It's this, if you want to buy something, let's say a car or a house, but you can't pay for all of it right up front, you pay a portion of the price, you borrow the rest of the money, but that down payment says that you promise to pay the rest. You promise to fulfill that obligation. Christ sent His Spirit as a down payment, a promise, a guarantee that He would take us to be where He is one day, But also as proof that He is with us always, even to the end of the age, as He has promised. As well, we enjoy the presence of God through His Word preached and His Word read. The congregation, God's presence, doesn't end for the believer at the believer's death. At death, we know that the Christian is separated from his or her family. I think maybe a more accurate way to say it is that the family is actually separated from the believer that dies. That family or earthly relationship is interrupted. But never, not for a single solitary moment, is the believer separated from God. The moment that God's child closes his eyes in death to this life, his eyes are opened in the presence of his God and Father, in the presence of his Lord in glory. we talked last week about God's providence living out of the Father's hand. That hand of God ushers His child into glory, as we'll talk about in a moment. The child of God passes from this light into the arms of His heavenly Father in the twinkling of an eye to an even more intimate relationship in the presence of God that we can't even begin to fully imagine in this life. And that's why the Apostle Paul could say, such confidence, for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But adding to the comfort of being in the presence of God is also the intimacy of God holding the psalmist's hand. Now that's a beautiful image. It really is. It's an awesome word picture. God holding the hand of his child. Now verse 2 says again, But as for me, my feet had almost slipped. I had nearly lost my foothold. But the reason that Asaph did not stumble and fall and slip away was not because of his own ability to stand on his own two feet or because of his own strength to resist evil. The truth is that if it was left up to us, every one of us would follow the crowd because everybody's doing it. And that's what we like. But the psalmist was kept safe from the snare of the devil because of the protecting hand of God. Even in times of despair and misery or in times when God's children forsake Him, He is continually with them. No interruption. Oh, it may seem like it once in a while, but not because God has turned His back on us, but because we turn our backs on God so often. We deserve to be cast away from Him. But if you are a child of God, in His grace, He will never leave you or forsake you. And He has proven this in that He died. His Son, Jesus Christ, died for you and me because we couldn't take care of our own deadly situation. His fatherly eye always watches over His children, those whom He has adopted for the sake of Jesus Christ as His very own. Now the hand of God, holding the hand of His child, keeps that child in safety. and keeps that child from following the way of destruction. And we get the picture here. I trust that the boys and girls, you also understand this picture. It's a picture of a father holding on tight to the hand of his child as they walk through a busy place, for example. A busy airport terminal. Standing on the side of a busy street. Or even going to a Padre game with all of those thousands and thousands of people going this direction and that direction. If the father lets go even for a second, the child could be lost. And many of us know this in part from experience as we walk with our young children and their attention is taken over here and their eye catches something over there and they're pulling this way and that way trying to get away. But dad or mom holds on tight to make sure that the child follows the right way. and stays in safety that the child does not fall into a destructive path. You see, it's not our hand holding on to God's hand as if His grace depends upon our initiative because that's not grace and that's not safe. But God grabs on and wraps around and tenderly holds our hand with His hand so that the hand of His child is safe in His hand. boys and girls, even parents, our young children, we know they can maybe hold on to one or two or maybe three of dad's fingers, but they're weak and so easily their grip lets loose. But when dad wraps his hand around the child's hand, it's a much stronger grasp. And that's the picture of what we have here. Our father wrapping his hand around the hands of his children. What a comforting picture. Beloved, this security is unfailing because of God who holds our hand. And it must be a comfort for the believer to say with David in Psalm 139, where can I go from thy spirit or where can I flee from thy presence? And the obvious answer is nowhere. Nowhere. And our comfort must be that God in His grace will not let His people out of His sight and out of His grasp. This is indeed comfort for those who live out of the Father's hand by grace through faith. Then we know that whatever the Lord allows to attack us in this life is only temporary, and yet He will deliver us. The psalmist also says in the text, You guide me with your counsel. God's grace for life bestowed upon the believer includes not only God's protecting hand, but also His guiding hand. We're familiar with a guide and the importance of a guide. A guide shows the proper way. A guide protects one from the wrong way. And a guide makes sure that one arrives at their destination safely. Our Heavenly Father counsels us through His Word, that holy Word which is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. That Word which guides us and gives us direction through this earthly pilgrimage, leading us to our eternal home. that word of salvation, through His word applied by His Spirit, He gives us the wisdom that we need to discern right from wrong and danger from safety. We depend upon His leading hand to guide us through the dangerous places and through our weaknesses and through the trials of life and the slippery places of sin and destruction which Asaph experienced. God's counsel and guidance of the psalmist included showing him then also what good the health and wealth and prosperity of the wicked were really doing. Notice verse 18, surely you place them on slippery ground, you cast them down to ruin. Now why the change of heart? Why the change of mind? Notice verse 17, 16 and 17, when I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God, then I understood their final destiny. As we were also taught in adult Sunday school, as Asaph was ushered into the sanctuary of God, what did he see? He saw the altar of sacrifice. And there he recognized God's wrath against sin as well as the need for a substitute. It was there that he realized the true path of the wicked who did not see their things, what we call blessings as indeed blessings from God and all their prosperity was not drawing them closer to the Lord but pushing them further away. And therefore God's wrath increased against them. The wicked did not recognize their prosperity, their talents and their gifts as gifts from God. And as I said, instead all the things that they selfishly hoarded drove them further away from God, leading them to destruction. Those who reject God will be rejected as they will hear from our Lord, depart from me, I never knew you. Grace in life, in this life, includes the believer being brought to his knees in humility and repentance as the psalmist was. God revealed to the psalmist that true good is God Himself. True good is being in and living in the very presence of God. True good is being kept safe in the palm of His hand. You see, the unbeliever may have everything as far as this world is concerned, but in reality, he has nothing if God is not with him, holding His hand, leading him down the everlasting path. He has nothing if Jesus Christ is not his Savior and Lord. We are a blessed people, as we said a week or two ago. Even materially we are blessed. But the believer's greatest wealth is the gracious presence of God. Beloved, our God guides His people. He knows our destination and He knows it already in eternity. He knows every curve in the road of our life's path. He knows every cloud overhead. He knows when your journey and my journey will be over down to the very last moment. And when God's grace for life nears its end, He alone guides His people through the valley of the shadow of death. And with God in control, no evil need be feared. And our God paved the way to Himself for His people through His own precious Son, Jesus Christ. You see, left to ourselves, we are nothing but castaways from God. But again, as Asaph saw the altar of sacrifice, the need for a substitute, we too, our eyes, look at the communion table before us, and we are reminded again of that substitute which was needed for us. We are reminded of that once-for-all sacrifice for sin. We are reminded of what Jesus Christ has done for His people. Because of the saving sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, If you believe on Him, then you can confidently confess with the psalmist, yet I am always with you. You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel. This is God's grace for life for those who believe on Jesus Christ by true faith. Those who know that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and there is no way to the Father except through Him. As well, our comfort congregation is that those who come to Him by the grace of God will not be rejected. They will be eternally protected. God's grace for life means that believers are guarded by the hand of God and guided by Him. His grace for life includes the strengthening of our faith by His Word and sacraments. And our comfort then also is that God takes His children by the hand for Jesus' sake and leads them to glory for eternity. The psalmist says, and afterward you will take Me into glory. After the grace of this life, You, O Lord, will lead me to Your glory. And that means that death, which is the wages of sin, that death which stings, that death which is the final enemy, that death which each one of us will face unless the Lord Jesus Christ returns first, that death is changed forever for the child of God. And at death, we look forward to the Father's presence and even greater intimacy. We look forward to the eternal mansion prepared for each one of us. We will look forward to our Father's heaven where there is no sin or sorrow or sickness or suffering, only joy and gladness, only never-ending worship of God and fellowship with God. This is God's covenant promise to His children. This is God's promise to His people that we could say has been etched in stone. And that stone is the stone that the angel rolled away from the tomb that could no longer hold our Savior. And we must exclaim, Hallelujah, He is risen. And because He lives, we too shall live. And therefore we can face today, we can face tomorrow, we can face every day. Paul says in that familiar passage in Romans 8, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword, just as it is written for thy sake we are being put to death all day long we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered but in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us for I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This was Paul's confidence so much so that he could also say to Timothy, the Lord will deliver me from every evil deed and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen? Congregation, we must ask ourselves, do I long for that glory? Is that my earnest desire? Do you live in the joy of God's grace for life and in the comfort and the assurance of His glory for eternity? Can you confess with the psalmist, as he does in verses 25-28, Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish. You destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the sovereign Lord my refuge. I will tell of all your deeds. Beloved, is that your confession today? You see, it will be if by God's grace, only if by God's grace you love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And this Word of God must cause us to consider both this life and the next life. And therefore, we are to ask this question, Where am I going after this life? It's never too early to consider that. Where am I going after this life? But the answer to that question depends upon the answer to this question. Where am I at today? Paul says that the Christian lives and moves and has his being in God. Are you near to God through the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you live in His presence? Do you enjoy His grace for today? If you don't, you won't enjoy His glory for eternity. The Lord made it clear, as we just read, clear to the psalmist that those who are far from the Lord will perish. The Lord destroys all who are unfaithful to Him. You see, we cannot find, let alone enter, God's presence on our own. Children and young people, please hear this. Please understand this. We cannot find, let alone enter, God's presence on our own. We have that need to be saved from our sin. We cannot accomplish it on our own, not even one little bit. Only through our great substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ, can we enter God's presence. But indeed, that's our comfort. That Jesus Christ has opened the way and indeed is the way for those who repent and believe. And a further promise. Those who come to Him. He will not shut the door to anyone. Not even one of all those who come to Him in repentance and faith. Indeed, beloved, apart from God, death just doesn't make sense. It doesn't. But for those who enjoy the comfort of God's grace for this life, for them death means God's glory for eternity. So do you live in the comfort of the Father's hand, His hand that grasps you, guides you, and glorifies you? His hand of unfailing security. Remember that for those who have everything except Christ, they really have nothing. And their end is destruction. But for those who have nothing but Christ, they really have everything. And theirs is grace for life and glory for eternity. Amen. Shall we pray? Father, again in Jesus' name and only in His name, We come before you in this morning hour. We are humbled and filled with joy as we consider and have considered this truth of your word. Father, may these words and this truth ring in our hearts, in our minds, each and every moment of every day of our life. Give us strength through this, your word, to go forward in this life. For indeed, you are the one who holds us by our hand. You are the one who gives us strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Father, we pray that indeed you would continue to bless your people to comfort us in this place. Be our strength and our shield and our portion forever and ever. Amen.