A Simple Life Ps. 73:23-26 Special Guest Dr. Todd Bates

Asaph lets “nevertheless” reach back over the whole storm of Psalm 73. He admits his feet had “almost slipped” when envy rose at the sight of the wicked living “fat, happy, and lazy,” drawing followers who sneer, “How can God know?” He feels the noise, the weariness of trying to make sense of it, until the pivot comes: “until I entered the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.” In God’s presence, the fog lifts. He sees their afterward and confesses he had been like a beast, thinking with his belly and his eyes.

Out of that clarity, verses 23 to 26 distill a simple life, simple but not easy. First, the psalm gives communion: “I am continually with you.” The stress lands on God’s unbroken nearness. Coram Deo names it well. All a person’s life is lived in reply to God, every thought, word, and act happening before His face. That recognition steadies wobbly knees.

Second, the psalm gives courage: “you hold my right hand.” The one whose hand upholds the nations pledges that intimate grip. Courage here means turning to face sin rather than hiding. As Augustine said, hiding sin does not hide it from God; it only hides God from the sinner. Courage also means walking the dark valley and discovering there what could not be learned in bright fields: “my grace is sufficient for you,” and power is perfected in weakness.

Third, the psalm gives counsel: “you guide me with your counsel.” God’s holding is a settled fact; His guiding unfolds step by step. He teaches a path, not a stunt. David’s prayer becomes the pilgrim’s posture: “Make me to know your ways; teach me your paths.” Wisdom is not a trick; it is a long obedience, learned in God’s presence.

Fourth, the psalm gives hope: “afterward you will receive me to glory.” The same word that named the wicked’s end now names the believer’s afterward. Enoch’s verb whispers here: God “took” him. That is the promise wrapped in the grip. Unbroken communion does not snap at death; it runs through death and beyond.

So Asaph lands in worship: “Whom have I in heaven but you?” God Himself is the portion, here and forever. If He is the Good by which all goods are good, then having Him frees desire from mud pies and opens a vacation at the sea. The life is simple because the center is single: God holds, guides, and receives. It is not easy, but it is full.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Live coram Deo in communion Life unfolds before God’s face, not outside His sight. Seeing life as reply to His sustaining presence sobers the mind and steadies the steps. Communion is not a mood; it is reality, whether felt or not. Naming it changes how desire, speech, and work are carried. [40:18]
• 2. Let God hold your right hand The Holy One does not observe from far away; He grips with covenant strength. That grip gives courage to uncover sin without excuse, because mercy meets truth there. The same grip steadies sufferers in the dark so that fear does not have the last word. [44:39]
• 3. Walk the path of His teaching Counsel is not a download; it is a road. God’s wisdom unfolds in time as He teaches a way to go, not just a decision to make. Waiting, listening, and obeying are how the path appears underfoot, one step at a time. [57:20]
• 4. Know your afterward in glory The sanctuary reorients endings. The wicked’s end is a slippery place; the believer’s afterward is reception into glory. Death becomes a passage where unbroken communion is clarified, not canceled. Hope lives now because the afterward is already promised. [58:52]
• 5. Take God as your portion now If God is the Good, then having Him is abundance before other gifts are counted. With Him, created goods regain their taste; without Him, they turn to dust. Desire expands, not shrinks, when it is set on the Giver rather than the gifts. [66:25]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [26:35] - One voice cutting through the noise
• [28:36] - Psalm 73 read and opened
• [31:24] - Slippery feet and envy rising
• [36:07] - Sanctuary pivot and discerned end
• [37:03] - Four simple instructions announced
• [38:14] - Unbroken communion, coram Deo
• [43:28] - Courage: God holds our right hand
• [46:12] - Confronting hidden sin before God
• [49:11] - Valley shadows and necessary trials
• [53:48] - Guided by counsel, step by step
• [56:56] - Teach me your paths, Psalm 25
• [58:52] - Afterward: received into glory
• [64:43] - Portion forever and true inheritance
• [71:07] - Call to fullness in Christ

1. What four promises does Asaph highlight in Psalm 73:23-26 to describe God’s relationship with believers?
2. How does entering the "sanctuary of God" change Asaph’s perspective on the apparent prosperity of the wicked (Psalm 73:17)? [36:07]
3. What contrast does the psalm make between the "end" of the wicked and the "afterward" of believers? [59:53]
4. How does the sermon describe the difference between "simple" and "easy" in living a faithful life? [27:36]

1. Why does Asaph begin his reflection with "nevertheless" in verse 23, and how does this word reframe his earlier struggles?
2. What does it mean practically to live coram Deo ("before the face of God") in daily decisions and relationships? [40:18]
3. How does God’s "holding our right hand" (v. 23) provide courage to confront sin and walk through trials? [44:39]
4. Why is the believer’s "afterward" (v. 24) a source of hope even when earthly circumstances seem unjust? [58:52]

1. What practical step could you take this week to intentionally live with awareness of God’s continual presence (coram Deo) in your work, conversations, or private thoughts? [40:43]
2. Is there a sin or struggle you’ve been avoiding confronting because it feels too uncomfortable? How might trusting God’s "right hand" (His strength and nearness) help you address it? [46:12]
3. When facing a difficult decision, how can you shift from seeking a quick "answer" to embracing God’s "step-by-step" guidance through prayer and Scripture? [57:20]
4. How would your daily priorities change if you truly believed God Himself—not achievements, relationships, or possessions—is your "portion forever" (v. 26)? [01:06:25]
5. In what area of life do you most need courage to trust God’s "afterward" (His eternal promise) over temporary circumstances? What would it look like to act on that trust today?
6. The sermon compares earthly desires to "mud pies" while God offers a "vacation at the sea." What "mud pie" have you been settling for, and how can you redirect your desires toward Christ’s fullness? [01:10:25]