June 29th, 2014
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

To Envy or Not?

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Almighty God, on this Lord’s Day, may Your praise ring out clearly all over the earth.

Read Psalm 73:1-28

[1]A psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. [2] But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. [3] For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. [4] They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. [5] They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills. [6] Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. [7] From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits. [8] They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. [9] Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. [10] Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. [11] They say, “How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?” [12] This is what the wicked are like- always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. [13] Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence. [14] All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments. [15] If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children. [16] When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply [17] till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. [18] Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. [19] How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! [20] They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. [21] When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, [22] I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. [23] Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. [24] You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. [25] Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. [26] My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. [27] Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. [28] 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.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Meditate

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matt. 5:8). To see God is to have a sense of God in all the circumstances and relationships of life.

Think Further

Have you ever felt that living the Christian life is tough? Take heart!

Our psalm falls into two halves, with a turning point at verse 17. It begins with a struggle of faith (1-16), which is transformed by the experience of worship (17), into confidence that the God of Israel will answer that struggle (18-28). The force of the adverb “surely” is that (1,13,18), despite the evidence, there is a condition contrary to that expected. So, despite contrary evidence, the psalmist maintains that God is good to Israel (1); despite the evidence that the wicked prosper, he will not adopt their ways (13). Having spent time in worship (17), he can say that despite outward appearances, he is confident that God will bring the wicked to ruin (18-20). He has been brought to an assurance that the goodness of God is seen not in prosperity but in his presence (23-28). He has won his struggle of faith through waiting on God and allowing him to reveal the mystery. This is a life lived in a faith that embraces the reality of life on earth but trusts in God despite the apparent contradictions life contains.

All of us who walk a life of faith know those apparent contradictions that can sometimes make us question the goodness of God. This psalm can speak to us and strengthen us as we walk by faith in a world that frequently dismisses any need for God. There is a turning point for the psalmist, and so there is for us. As we contemplate the cross, as we see how God worked out and continues to work out his purposes, and as we worship in our churches today, we can understand “their final destiny” (17). Just read the end of the book (e.g. Rev. 19-22)!

Apply

Spend time in worship allowing God to change your perspective on your struggles.

Closing prayer

Lord Jesus, create in me a clean heart. Renew a right spirit in me. I want to have a singular focus on You and be in tune with Your workings in my life.

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