Have you ever caught yourself thinking how some folks seem to get everything they want in life while your lot in life seems unfairly short of blessings and long in unfair suffering? Have you ever asked God why those who follow him faithfully suffer and die when others who reject him enjoy both health and prosperity? You’re certainly not alone. The prophet Aseph felt the same way. In Psalm 73, he acknowledges that God is good to those who are pure in heart. But then he says,
“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 73:2-5)
Surely, God rewards those who follow his ways, who are fully devoted to him, but just now it doesn’t appear that way. It looks like those who ignore God are doing well in all aspects of life. Called to “stand firm” we start thinking in ways that lead us to stand on a slippery foothold. How do we regain our senses at such a time? Aseph shows us. He snaps back to the reality of his faith, realizing that the foolish who ignore God and go their own ways wear the necklace of pride. They clothe themselves with violence, and they promote iniquity, fueled by evil imaginations. They look successful while they scoff at and oppress others. They mock God while they accumulate wealth for themselves. He wonders, and perhaps you have too, “Maybe keeping my heart pure was all in vain. I’m surrounded by sorrows and afflictions while everyone else seems to be living “the life of Riley.””
And then Aseph says something astounding and profound.
“When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God.” V16
We find the more we visit with doctors about my health, the more our minds are troubled by the “evidence” before us. Probably you too have observed that focusing on problems brings sorrow while focusing on solutions brings joy. What is the fulcrum point that shifts our perspective? It’s when we “enter the sanctuary of God.” Our minds and hearts can’t be turned from being troubled to being transformed until we enter God’s presence and seek his heart.
It’s then that we understand the final destiny of mockers and self-seekers and also the grest inheritance of those committed to living fully – yet however imperfectly – for God. He takes our hand and leads us from slippery ground to a solid rock, a foundation that is unshakeable.
In our envy, we are like Aseph. Our heart is grieved, our spirit is filled with bitterness, and our ignorance defines us until we come to Jesus, the perfector of our soul, the redeemer of our life. I wonder if Aseph’s realization describes how you’ve been transformed by the love of God:
“Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.” (V23-26, 28)
This life doesn’t always seem fair. In our emptiness, we ask, “How long, O Lord?” But enter into the presence – the sanctuary – of the Lord and inherit a new perspective that strengthens you and fills you with great hope. Tell others of his goodness and be renewed in your own spirit.
In what ways will you enter into the sanctuary of God today?
