Psalms 73 - Part Three

Psalm 73:13-20

Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.
All day long I have been afflicted,
    and every morning brings new punishments.

If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
When I tried to understand all this,
    it troubled me deeply
till I entered the sanctuary of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.

Surely you place them on slippery ground;
    you cast them down to ruin.
How suddenly are they destroyed,
    completely swept away by terrors!
They are like a dream when one awakes;
    when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.

As we unpack the next eight verses in chapter 73, I want to share some things that stood out: 

-Asaph begins to think that being obedient to God was a waste of his time. 

-Then, he complains about his affliction and the daily ‘punishment’ he experiences.

-He can’t understand why things are the way they are and thinking about it brings him trouble.

-Once he entered the sanctuary of God, his perspective immediately shifted.

-Things begin to make sense when he understands that the wicked may be successful now, but for eternity they will be separated from God. 

Can you relate to what Asaph is saying? Once again, I can relate very well to the statements he is making. I can’t begin to count how many times I’ve asked why bad things happen to good people; and why good things happen to bad people. Trying to figure this out in our own mind without God’s help will drive us mad, just like it did Asaph. However, once he was in the presence of God, his perspective shifted. When we let God fill us with His wisdom and His perspective, we can begin to have peace in even the most baffling situations. Let’s challenge ourselves to view things from a heavenly perspective this week. After all, God’s thoughts and ways are far superior to ours. 

Isaiah 55:8-9

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.