Four things to take note of in Psalm 73.
1. God is good to us.
Is God really good? Yes, he is (Psalm 73:1).
With all the challenges we face in life, we are sometimes tempted by the evil one to feel like we cannot trust in the goodness of God to see us through. But regardless of the circumstance you may find yourself in, be rest assured that God is good and he is good to those who are pure in heart (Matthew 5:8, 1John 3:1-3, 2Corinthians 7:1, Psalm 24:1-6).
2. Life is not always what it seems to be (Psalm 73:2-14)
Asaph, the writer of this psalm was not a baby believer but it this scripture he speaks about how he almost slipped because he was envious of the boastful/wicked when he saw their prosperity.
Life is not always what it seems to be so do not be envious of the wicked. You should not be envious when you see them prosper for you do not know the source of their wealth. The fact that they seem to be prospering while you seem to be struggling when all you have done is to serve God wholeheartedly, does not mean that God is not good to you.
The riches of the wicked will surely come to an end. You should understand that as believers our aim is not just to prosper here on earth. God doesn’t assure all of us that we will get riches here on earth but certainly, we know that we will not suffer lack in this world since we have the Lord as our shepherd. Moreover, the church functions in a way that ensures that those who are in need are catered for. Our goal as believers is to spend eternity with the father in heaven and behold all the treasures in store for us. If you understand this you will not worry about some happenings in this world.
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3. We should constantly enter into the sanctuary of God if we want to see/understand what life is truly about.
When you find yourself in a situation that is causing you to question the goodness of God, you should enter into His sanctuary in order to obtain understanding (Psalm. 73:15-17). You can only overcome when you enter into the sanctuary. The sanctuary of God is his presence. There are 3 means by which one can access the sanctuary of God.
By reading the word: We can overcome when we know the scriptures for by the scriptures we are enlightened. As a Christian, you have to make it a habit to go to the word when faced with such situations.
By prayer: Prayer is one means by which we meet and commune with God. The Lord invites us to reason together with him through prayer. Christians ought to learn to pray like it is nobody’s business. Pour your heart out to God in prayer and be bent on being as intimate as possible in your discourse with God. When you trust God, you will receive enlightenment and the Lord will come through for you.
In the council and assembly of the godly: It is necessary to felowship with other saints in church and to regularly find yourself in the council of the godly for it is one means by which we access the presence of God and receive enlightenment.
Now is the time to regularly use all 3 means to access the sanctuary of God.
4. We will be transformed daily as we come into His sanctuary
Not only do you receive understanding in the sanctuary, you are also transformed (Psalm. 73:18-20). In the sanctuary, Asaph realised that the wicked are the ones who are rather on slippery grounds. He was enlightened on how the end of the wicked will be. He realised they are not the ones going to have the final word.
Do not envy anyone. Just walk the path God has chosen for you and be rest assured that God is always with you. The power of God surpasses every power. He will cause His purposes for your life to cone to pass.
Declaration
If you make God your own, he knows you have nowhere else to go, that everyone is looking at your life to see if He will come through for you. He will come through for you and when all is said and done he will take you into glory. Like Asaph proclaimed in Ps. 75:25, the motto of every believer should be this ‘Whom have I in heaven but you and the earth has nothing I desire apart from God’. Christ is over and beyond everything you will need in this life.
Scripture Reference: Psalm 73
Author: Prof Noel Tagoe
