当诗人在神面前完全交托的时候，他内心立即得到保证：「然而，我常与你同在」（诗七十三23）。有些译本翻译为：「然而，我继续与你一起」。我个人喜欢「然而」这个词，因为令我想起诗人内心的触动，对他属灵生命的复元十分重要。他没有在自我检视中停下来、只把焦点对着自己，而是仰望天父的脸，明白自己得到接纳和爱。

如果我们在自我检视那里结束，不记得接着的说话「然而，我常与你同在」，我们便会受困于负面的罪疚感和自我谴责。正因为这样，我较早时说过自我检视必须在神的同在下进行。很多人虽然花时间检视自己，但却断定自己是没有价值和没有用处的，结果以自杀来结束生命。

我今天是否正向这样的人说话呢？如果是的话，请你紧记，虽然你可能感到自己是没有用和没有价值的，「然而」，神仍然与你同在，他仍然准许你来到他的跟前。虽然你忘记了他的应许，误解了他的道路，「然而」，神并没有抛弃你。让这奇妙的真理今天全新地进入你内心吧。无论你的生命出了什么问题，尽管向他承认，仰望他的脸，并说：「『然而』，我仍继续与你在一起。」

Once the psalmist reached the place of utter abandonment before God there came into his heart an instant reassurance: "Yet I am always with you" (Psa. 73:23). Some translations put it like this: "Nevertheless I am continually with you". Personally I prefer the word "nevertheless" as it conjures up to my mind a movement in the soul of the psalmist that was vital to his spiritual recovery. He did not stop at the point of self-examination and turn in upon himself - he looked into the face of his heavenly Father and realised that he was accepted and loved.

If we end at the point of self-examination and don't remember the next words, "Nevertheless I am continually with you," then we will stay locked into the negative feelings of guilt and self-condemnation. This is why I said earlier that self-examination must not be undertaken except in the presence of God. Many have spent time examining themselves, and because they have judged themselves to be worthless and useless, they have gone out and committed suicide.

Am I talking to someone like that today? If so, put your foot on this next rung of the ladder and realise that although you may be feeling useless and worthless nevertheless you are still in the presence of God. He still permits you to come into His presence, even though you have forgotten His promises and misunderstood His ways. God does not cast you away. Let the wonder of this break afresh upon you today. Whatever has gone wrong in your life, confess it to Him and look into His face and say: "Nevertheless I am continually with you."