"Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end." Asaph, now, could

see how it was that he could say, "my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh

slipped"--"almost", "well nigh", but not quite, for he now confesses, "Thou hast holden

my by my right hand". The wicked still prospered, they still appeared to have "more than

heart could wish", but Asaph's envy had given place to confident trust, "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 for ever".

Providential mercies were guaranteed--"Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel"--and a

blessed hope awaited fulfillment--"And afterward receive me to glory". Asaph could

surely say, "All my springs are in Thee".

A New Testament example of this same recognition is provided by Peter. The Lord

had revealed Himself as "the True Bread" which had been given by the Father, in contrast

with the Manna, which, though given by God and eaten by the fathers in the wilderness,

yet did not give those who partook of it everlasting life. Moses gave not that "True

Bread", "for the Bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life

unto the world". "Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the

bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die."

The Lord emphasized that the "True Bread" was not to be considered apart from

sacrifice. It involved His very flesh and blood, which, said He, "I will give for the life of

the world". Many of those who heard the Lord on this occasion declared His message to

be "a hard saying", and "many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with

Him". It was at this point that the test was made; the Lord turned to the twelve and said

to them, "Will ye also go away?" Then Peter, with the words of the Psalm, "All my

springs are in Thee", in heart, if not in mind, made the great confession, "To whom shall

we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that Thou are

that Christ, the Son of the living God" (John 6: 68, 69).