Surely God Is Good to Israel
A Psalm of Asaph.
“Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggle in their death; their bodies are well-fed. They are free of the burdens others carry; they are not afflicted like other men.
Therefore pride is their necklace; a garment of violence covers them. From their prosperity proceeds iniquity; the imaginations of their hearts run wild. They mock and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongues strut across the earth. So their people return to this place and drink up waters in abundance. The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?” Behold, these are the wicked—always carefree as they increase their wealth.
Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure; in innocence I have washed my hands. For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning. If I had said, “I will speak this way,” then I would have betrayed Your children. When I tried to understand all this, it was troublesome in my sight until I entered God’s sanctuary; then I discerned their end. Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin. How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors! Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord awaken and despise their form.
When my heart was grieved and I was pierced within, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You. Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and later receive me in glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You? And on earth I desire no one besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those far from You will surely perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, it is good to draw near to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may proclaim all Your works.”
“Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggle in their death; their bodies are well-fed. They are free of the burdens others carry; they are not afflicted like other men.” It’s an age-old question: why does God allow the wicked to prosper at all, let alone as much as they do? The problem for the righteous is that when they obsess over the evil of the wicked, they will stop focusing on God.
“Therefore pride is their necklace; a garment of violence covers them. From their prosperity proceeds iniquity; the imaginations of their hearts run wild. They mock and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongues strut across the earth. So their people return to this place and drink up waters in abundance. The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?” Behold, these are the wicked—always carefree as they increase their wealth.” Drug lords, those running human trafficking rings, crime bosses, crooked politicians-all these people operate by terror and corruption.
“Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure; in innocence I have washed my hands. For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning. If I had said, “I will speak this way,” then I would have betrayed Your children. When I tried to understand all this, it was troublesome in my sight until I entered God’s sanctuary; then I discerned their end. Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin. How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors! Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord awaken and despise their form.” When we are suffering, it’s really tempting to become bitter; this is why it’s so important for us to keep our eyes on God and not on other people. But we must remember that God keeps score and God knows exactly what is happening. God may give people the chance to repent, but when evil-doers fail to repent, they will pay for their wickedness.
“When my heart was grieved and I was pierced within, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You. Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and later receive me in glory.” When we allow ourselves to become grieved, we can become confused. We need to remind ourselves that God is always with us and will keep us and guide us.
“Whom have I in heaven but You? And on earth I desire no one besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those far from You will surely perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, it is good to draw near to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may proclaim all Your works.” God is our only safe refuge; we have nobody else whom we can trust.
APPLICATION: Evidently, Asaph is a righteous man caught in an unrighteous situation. We don’t know what Asaph’s situation is but Asaph feels that he has nearly slipped over the brink of irreversible bitterness.
Those of us who have worked in several different organizations have stories about the wicked among us. It’s not uncommon to find that some groups reward those who flatter and curry favor while ignoring or even abusing the truly competent.
During my searches for information, I encountered one testimony entitled “Psalm 73 Saved My Life.” Why would anybody think such a thing? Bitterness and self-pity can dig us ever-deeper holes. Proverbs 23 tells us that “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” If we obsess about the unfairness of our situation, we will become increasingly unable to think positively. Such thinking is reminiscent of walking along a seashore assuming that the sand is solid, only to find yourself mired in deep mud.
When we find ourselves in the same situation as Asaph, we need to copy his pattern-reach out to God, make God your refuge, grab and hold on!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to focus on You and not on the wicked around us. Thank You for delivering us from bitterness and envy. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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