The Turning Point

” For I was envious of the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death; but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.”

The problem of the ever-increasing and illusive prosperity of the wicked has perplexed Christians and God’s children for centuries. The burning and agonizing question arises; ” why do our unsaved friends seem to escape complex and distressing trouble, while we Christians and devout believers have more grievous burdens than we are able to handle?”

It is often said, even in the secular world; ” the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” The contrasts and the gaps are widening daily at every turn of the scheme of life, it seems. Never has the display and evidence of wealth been so rampant, and furthermore, the number of millionaires and billionaires is escalating yearly, worldwide; But, why? We knew it was coming, and now it is here, if we refer to the scriptures and prophecy; ” … and the merchants of the earth are grown rich through the abundance of her delicacies.” (Rev. 18:3).

When we begin with the first verses of Psalm 73, we read that the traditional believer looks around at the apparent prosperity engulfing him in ancient Israel; ” pride, violence, fatness, corruption, oppression, ungodliness.” We, too, are plagued with the same elements, and perhaps, more. The candid believer now looks around too, and also sees, his neighbours, relatives, believers in the church, believers in other faiths, in government officials, in employer-employee relations, in entertainers, sports figures, scientists, professionals, writers, commentators, corporate officials, media personages, academic figures, designers, and on-and-on.

They, the rich, incessantly seem to escape sickness, sorrows, grief, and attacks, while the poor seem to be forever plagued by them! What else does the psalmist say? ” I have been a Christian in vain.” He cries out further, ” Is it worth at all to be saved?”

Blasphemies, cult movements, New Age inroads, spiritualism, satanic beliefs, demonism, etc., are on the rise. Ungodly books, such as ” The Da Vinci Code,” which is fictional, but which the author claims is fact-based, alleges ” scientific evidence that the New Testament is false testimony.” (p. 341). Furthermore, that Christianity is a lie and stolen from pagan religions. Although a novel, this conspiratorial murder mystery claims to be based on well-researched historical facts—facts that contradict historical Christianity.

But, ” We did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (2 Pet. 1:15). The Apostle John wrote, ” Beloved do not believe every sprit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God; Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and is now already in the world.” 1 John 4:1-4.

So, with such relentless exposure and experiences to the worldly influences of above, many Christians do now know where to turn. The cruel attacks cause many others to begin to doubt the Word of God, the Spirit of Prophecy, Heaven, Jesus, God, and the Church. The Truth! Many others are brokenhearted, confused, abandoned, and discouraged.

But, I believe, of all of these, the feeling of worthlessness, and unimportance in this world is the most tragic consequence of following the common path of the enticing, and often unavoidable worldly influences. It is true, however, that at certain times in our lives we may feel insignificant and useless. Often surrounded by people with greater talent than ours, and prosperity, we are tempted, thereby, to just settle back and let someone else do the work, reasoning that what we have to offer won’t make much difference anyway. We begin backsliding; praying less, reading the Word of God less, and begin to neglect the Sabbath Day. The insidious question again rises, ” Is it worth it all to be saved?”

We forget the truth suggested by our Lord’s use of five loaves and two small fish to feed a multitude. (John 6:1-14). That young man’s contribution was important. So, each of us has something important to offer in His service. That was a turning point in that young man’s life, and in the ministry of Jesus Christ for Hs doubting disciples.

Sir Michael Costa was conducting a rehearsal in which the orchestra was joined by a great chorus. Halfway through the session, with trumpets blaring, drums rolling, and violins singing their rich melody, the piccolo player muttered to himself, ” What good am I doing? I might as well not be playing. Nobody can hear me anyway.” So, he kept the instrument to his mouth, but he made no sound. Within moments, the conductor cried, ” Stop! Stop! Where’s the piccolo?” It was missed by the ear of the most important person of all.

It is much the same with the use of our abilities for the Lord. Whether our talents or resources are great or small, the performance isn’t complete until we do our best with what we have. We are important! You are important in the eyes of God. Every step in your life can be a ” turning point.”

But, let us return to our story and the question of the psalmist; his perplexities, and his ” turning point.” When he cried out again, ” 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.” (Psalm 73:14-16). Note carefully now as we see the ” turning point” of the psalmist: Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.” (v. 17).

When the psalmist took an inside view of faith, then he saw the Truth. The sanctuary was no longer a mystery, and is no longer a mystery for us. We meet God, in the Most Holy Place, (since 1844), where our High Priest, and Intercessor is making atonement for our sins. ” We have such an High Priest, who is on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” (Heb. 9:12).

Furthermore, ” The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross, for by His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven.” (GC, p. 489).

” The blood of Christ, while it was to release the repentant sinner from the condemnation of the law, was not to cancel the sin, it would stand on record in the sanctuary until the final atonement; so in the type the blood of the sin offering removed the sin from the penitent, but it rested in the sanctuary until the Day of Atonement. In the great day of the final reward, the dead are to be ” judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their work.” (Rev. 20:12).

” Then by virtue of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, the sins of the truly penitent will be blotted from the books of heaven. Thus, the sanctuary will be freed or cleansed from the records of sin.” (PP, p. 357).

Don’t you want to praise God for what is happening in heaven’s sanctuary today and for the time of the final atonement?

The psalmist realized the unsaved are really in slippery places. A terrible destiny for them is considered. The Jews lost sight of the sanctuary. Not only that, but Sis. White stated, ” The churches have been filling up since 1844 with every unclean and hateful bird since Christ left the sanctuary from the Holy to the Most Holy.”

Whenever you feel that it is not worth to be a Christian, a child of God, read Psalm 73:23-28: ” Nevertheless, I am continually with thee; thou hast holden me by my right hand. 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. My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever. For lo, they that are far from thee shall perish; thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. 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.”

This tells us in part that God is holding your right hand, guides you into this life, promises a crown of glory in the next life. The unsaved have passing riches, and pleasures. We have an eternal God.

Whenever a Christian is complaining in this life, it’s because he is walking by sight and not faith. He sees the world with human eyes, and not the eyes of God, and not the eyes of faith.
So, what is the ” turning point?” From just sighing to singing, in seeing things the way God sees them.

How do we do this? By transporting ourselves into the Heavenly Sanctuary. In the place of prayer, fellowship, and obedience. The Apostle Paul pointed his listeners beyond, to Christ’s priestly ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary.

” Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. For the Lord loveth justice, and foresaketh not his saints; they are preserved forever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off… But, the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” (Psalm 37:1, 3, 4, 7, 11, 28).
What is the turning point in your life?
AMEN.