Devotion

Psalm 73

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.

For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.

They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills.

Psalm 73 is a  psalm of perplexity! A real contrast to the ones of thanksgiving!  Psalm 73 is one of the psalms of Asaph, who was the leader of one of the temple choirs founded by King David in the Old Testament. It wrestles with a theological problem - why do the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer? How do you match up the apparent injustice of this at times with God's power and goodness? It is also a practical problem as it could cause the believer to become envious of the wicked and to lose faith in God. 

The writer of the Psalm gives a personal testimony of how he had escaped from the envy and unbelief that he had fallen into and renewed his faith in God. 

We see at the beginning of the Psalm a contrast between the purity of heart that is the normal state of God's people and the state of envy that the author has fallen into.

 The Psalm then progresses to show the arrogance of the unbelievers and the way that people were looking up to them regardless. in spite of this, it appears that God does nothing. 

The author recognises with shock the depths to which his bitterness about this has brought him. with a renewed focus on God, he realises that the prosperity that the wicked are currently enjoying is like being in a dream that will come to a rude awakening for them. 

It is a glimpse of the way that God will give us a new heaven and new earth when Jesus returns and restore things to their rightful state. 

This is enough to sustain the author in his current circumstances and enables him to both confess the wrongness of his previous attitude and to renew his faith in God. 

God, we continue to thank you for your word in the Psalms. We thank you for the way that you love us, care for us and bless us with your love. We thank you for the renewal and salvation that waits for us. Amen. 

Will Wallace

Principal