When Things Look Bleak
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler
"Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well-nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked."
--Psalm 73:1-3
This
particular Psalm, along with eleven others, is ascribed to Asaph, a
Levite who ministered as the chief musician at the temple. After many
years of faithful service, Asaph began to waver in the faith. With a
heavy heart he says, "My feet were almost gone; my steps had well-nigh
slipped." Most believers can relate to this having experienced the same
struggle in their own lives. In fact, it is an all too common problem.
Notice what the stumbling block was: Asaph became envious
of the prosperity of the ungodly. He made the mistake of comparing his
life with the lifestyle of the rich and famous. "They have more than the
heart could wish" (vs. 7), everything had been handed to them on a
silver platter. And what was even more disturbing to the Psalmist was
they had obtained their ill-gotten gain through corruption and violence
(vss. 6,8). Meanwhile, Asaph had labored day and night to barely make
ends meet. He had compassion on the poor, but the wicked oppressed them
seemingly with impunity. It just didn't seem fair! As the old saying
goes,
the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
The
wicked in those days, as now, were not interested whatsoever in God and
acted as though He really didn't know or care (vs. 11). And to add
insult to injury, the heavens were silent! The Psalmist, on the other
hand, sought to live a righteous life only to find himself afflicted by
the world and chastened of the Lord. This caused him to ponder, "Have I
cleansed my heart in vain?" The more he dwelled on this, it was just too
painful for him to bear. "Until!" Until what?
"Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely Thou didst set them in slippery places: Thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors" (Psa. 73:17-19).
Have
you ever awakened from a nightmare and felt thankful it wasn't real?
For the ungodly the nightmare described here is very real. The
Psalmist's "foot had almost slipped," but he was spared by God's grace
and mercy in salvation; but the slippery slope the ungodly will find
themselves on ends in terror. When things look bleak--Remember Psalm 73!
King James Bible
The Preserved and Living Word of God
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