the solution to all our problems can be found by entering into the sanctuary of God

Psalm 73 speaks of a man who does his best to keep the law and God’s commandments, who is puzzled and almost stumbled when he sees that he is in suffering and pain while the evil men prosper and nothing seems to bother them.

While the righteous man is being plagued and persecuted, going through all kinds of not-so-pleasant things, the evil men prosper. Why is it like this?

The psalmist found the answer when he entered into the sanctuary of God – there he perceived their end, and he realized that God is his unique portion and reward! We also need to see this by coming into the sanctuary of God – here we have the answer!

Why do the righteous men suffer while the evil prosper?

This is the question most people have asked themselves – why do the righteous men suffer while the evil ones prosper? Why do I suffer and am plagued when I do the right thing, while others who do whatever pleases them “get away with it” and everything is fine?

The psalmist asked the same question in Psalm 73, where he was almost stumbled when he saw the prosperity of the wicked (Psa. 73:3-12).

The wicked heap up riches (v. 12), while the righteous man who purifies his heart is plagued all day long (v. 13-14). And if the righteous man would tell others about this, they would be stumbled – so he can’t even speak about it! Why is it like this?

The solution: entering the sanctuary of God

“When I considered this in order to understand it, it was a troublesome task in my sight, until I went into the sanctuary of God” (Psa. 73:16-17).

Verse 17 is the fulcrum, the turning point – the psalmist entered into the sanctuary of God, and then he perceived their final destiny, their end!

We need to come to the sanctuary of God to have all our questions answered! What is the sanctuary of God? The sanctuary of God is in our spirit and it is the church!

When we turn to our spirit and when we come to the meetings of the church, we get the explanation and solution to all our problems.

We can all testify this – we have some questions and puzzling situations to figure out, and when we turn to our spirit or/and we come to the meetings of the church, we get the answer!

Here, in the sanctuary of God, the Lord shines on us and gives us the explanation and the solution to our problems!

Just as Daniel went to his vital group and got both the dream and the interpretation of the dream for the king (see Daniel 2), so it is with us – seemingly impossible and inexplicable situations and questions are being answered by the Lord when we come to Him in our spirit and to our vital group!

Actually, some secrets in the Bible are not made real to us until we come into the twofold sanctuary – our spirit (as the personal sanctuary) and the church (as the corporate sanctuary)!

Don’t try to figure it out by yourself, don’t try to find the solution to your problems in yourself and your smart mind – enter into the sanctuary of God!

Here we can SEE what is really going on, and here we have visions, solutions, and explanations! Once we are in the sanctuary of God – in our spirit and in the church – we have another view, another perception, and another understanding concerning our situation.

Christ is our prize and our exceedingly great reward

It is here in the sanctuary of God under the Lord’s shining that we can say as the psalmist said in Psa. 73:25-26, “Whom do I have in heaven but You? And besides You there is nothing I desire on earth. My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever.”

In ourselves, we cannot say this, but as we pray over this verse, we can allow the Lord to penetrate our being so that we can say it in faith!

The Lord is everything to us – He is our first love, our brother, our father, our companion, our counsellor, our advocate, our peace, our joy, our friend, our redemption, our sanctification, and so much more!

This was the apostle Paul’s desire and aspiration – to be found in Christ, to gain Christ, to win Christ, and to obtain Christ as a prize!

What is our prize? WHO is our prize? What do we really want to gain? In the sanctuary of God we see that what we really want is Christ – gaining Christ and winning Christ is our desire.

As per Gen. 15:1, God is our shield and our exceedingly great reward. Our goal is the fullest enjoyment and gaining of Christ!

Everything else – including riches, positions, treasures, careers, etc – is a vapour; Christ is the only real thing, and He is our portion. He is the rock of our salvation and our exceedingly rich portion forever!

Draw us Lord to come to You in Your sanctuary! Save us from trying to figure out what is the solution in ourselves. We don’t really know what’s going on, and we don’t have the solution. Lord, we love to enter into Your sanctuary! We love touching You in our mingled spirit and meeting with the saints in the church. Keep shining on us, Lord, and showing us Christ as our exceedingly great portion!

References and Further Reading

• Sharing inspired from the Life-study of the Psalms, msg. 31, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on the Crystallization-Study of Psalms (2), week 13.
• Hymns on this topic:
  # My God, my Portion, and my Love, / My everlasting All, / I’ve none but Thee in heav’n above, / Or on this earthly ball
  # Whom do I have in heaven / But You, dear Jehovah. / My flesh and my heart / Constantly fail, / But God’s still / The strength of my heart and my portion;
• Picture source: Psa. 73:25 google image search.