Psalm 73:1-3 “Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. 3 For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”
This psalm deals with a real struggle that believers have some times. How is it that apparently bad people get away with murder? How is it that they seem to have no troubles and at the same time I’m struggling? Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around? Aren’t I the person who is supposed to be blessed and increased and healthy? Why do people who don’t give a rip about God appear to be doing better than me? These questions so bothered the psalmist that it almost caused him to slip up and lose his way. His perplexity over this issue reaches a climax in verse 13 when he says, “Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence.” He is really frustrated. What is going on here? How can we avoid the same trap?
The rest of the psalm gives us some answers and some directions on how to personally respond to what looks like getting the short end of the stick. It begins in verses 16 and 17: “When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me—17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end.” Realize that as a believer life does not merely consist of the time between birth and death. We believe that there is an existence called eternal life which will make this earthly existence seem like a vapor and a sneeze. Get your eyes on the bigger picture. Get into the sanctuary.
Verse 25 says, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.” When our passion and desire is primarily for things of this earth then we will be discouraged at who gets what, especially if we end up with less. Our desire must remain first and foremost toward the Lord.
Last: stay close. Verse 28 says, “But it is good for me to draw near to God…” Stay close to Him. Don’t drift and don’t take a detour. As long as you remain near Him, you will be okay and you will maintain your spiritual equilibrium. You will have all eternity to think back at how short a journey you had while on this earth and when you look around at where you are, you will say to yourself, “What a waste of time to have thought about how other people were doing better than me!”