Psalm 73:1-3 (NIV)
Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet almost slipped; I nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Why do bad things happen to good people? Conversely, why do good things happen to bad people? Nasty people who don’t bother to take care of themselves live well into their 80’s while that sweet and godly friend of yours passes away with children still living in their home. Obnoxious, flamboyant pop stars live life on private jets traveling between estates while self-sacrificing, humble servants of the Lord live paycheck to paycheck. The world can be a cruel place and life can be terribly unfair…so how are we to handle those seemingly inescapable realities?
Every Christian should spend time in the Book of Psalms where godly people have poured out their broken hearts, frustrated minds, and depressed spirits. However, as is with the opening verse of Psalm 73, these writers also labor to remind themselves – to declare to themselves – that God is in fact a GOOD GOD, and while the circumstances might cry “Despair!”, the Lord whispers, “Trust.” Asaph, the writer of today’s psalm, does exactly that when he says, “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” Spurgeon notes that, “The writer does not doubt this, but lays it down as his firm conviction. It is well to make sure of what we do know, for this will be good anchor-hold for us when we are molested by those mysterious storms which arise from things which we do not understand.” This is a conviction that all of us need to preach to ourselves…probably on a regular basis.
Asaph goes on to admit that, “…my feet almost slipped; I nearly lost my foothold.” If we choose to be honest, most of us would admit there are times when we really struggle with our faith…with our trust in God. We struggle to make sense of a world that is upside down and inside out…just a shadow of what it could be, or perhaps, what is should be. As we observe the “better life” of some people around us, we must be sober-minded about the subtle temptation to become resentful. Asaph put those cards on the table when he exclaimed, “Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning” (v. 12–14). Was he having a pity party? Most likely. Have you ever had one? I have, too. That is when it becomes mission critical to trust what God says…rather than what we see.
They say there are two sides to every coin – as they should – and our lives on this earth are exactly the same. There is the side we can see with things like our health, our relationships, and our finances…and sometimes it seems like that is the ONLY side to the coin…but there is another. On the other side of the coin is what only God can see at the moment. God sees past the immediate and knows what your future holds. God can see the fruit that will come off of your bitter tree. He can see the healing and strength that will enter your heart as time goes by. God can see all the good moments ahead of you that will help to ease the pain that you experience today. And the Savior of your Soul has already purchased a future for you that will make any earthly advantage evaporate in the light of its glory and magnificence.
Psalm 73 certainly does not make light of the very real challenges we all face on a deeply flawed and fallen earth. Pain and disappointment are inescapable…for now. Injustice and unfairness are inescapable…for now. The early demise of some of the righteous and the short-lived longevity of some of the wicked are inescapable…for now. But in the end, your faith will become your eyes and you will see this passage come to fruition:
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Rev. 21:4
