“Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25-26).
It is easy, in this world of sin and death, to become discouraged. Suffering seems to increase daily, whether I know people personally or see them on the news. Animals are not exempt from suffering either. It seems that those who are evil prosper and those who are trying to do what is good are knocked down. It is easy to pass judgement on others and think about what they could do differently, even the people whom we personally know and maybe even live with. It is easy to get bogged down with what is happening in the world and in our own lives both with things that are outside our control and the results of decisions we make. It is easy to think if we just try harder, if we just push ourselves and other more, that through our own will power and abilities things will happen and problems will be fixed. It is easy to think we have all the answers. It comes as quite a shock when something unexpected happens. No matter how much you plan and try to have a routine or schedule something will come along and disrupt the flow of life. “My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” With God as our anchor, we can weather any storm. Why then should we desire anything on earth or heaven besides Him? It is hard to remember, that we must give the reigns of our lives over to Someone Else if we wish to make the best decisions and to follow the right path. Even if everything else around us crumbles, if we have given our lives fully into the hands of God, we may be assured of salvation in the end.
“Truly God is good to Israel,
To such as are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:1-3).
It is easy to be envious of those that prosper both the righteous and the wicked. People you see on social media or the tv seem to have everything. The key word is “seem.” Just because someone seems to have a lot of stuff or really luxurious items it doesn’t mean that their lives are perfect. It is easy to point out the people we think are prosperous because they have made underhanded deals, regardless of the validity of those claims. People we perceive as righteous, we might think deserve or have earned their success. But success shouldn’t be measured by money or prestige, although it often is. There isn’t anyone who has everything perfect whether it is a marriage, a job, health, etc. It is easy to only look at the shallow end of other people’s oceans and believe that they have it all, when in fact… they don’t and they could be worse off than you or me. The psalmist says “God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart.” Those who are pure in heart learn not to compare what they have in any area of their lives to the lives of others. This of course is easier said than done, but it is something to aspire toward. If we give our lives fully to God, He will be “good” to us. And the “good” that God chooses for us will, in the end, be better than anything we could have chosen for ourselves, something even better than the prosperity of others.
“Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was vexed in my mind.
I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory” (Psalm 73:21-24).
There is only One who is perfect. And yet, even that One did not have an easy life. As a matter of fact, Jesus’s life on earth was extremely difficult. Yet He made it through by relying on God to guide Him. And that’s what He wants to do for us, to guide us through the storms of life. It is hard to understand and remember that what God has promised us is not an easy life, but a blessed future. It is easy to say we will follow Him but it is hard not to falter when the way gets difficult. He knows that. And if we come to Him, He will “hold [us] by [our] right hand[s]” and “guide [us] with [His] counsel” and when all is said and done will “receive [us] to glory.”
“But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works” (Psalm 73:28).
It is easy to tell people about the problems in our lives. However, the more we focus on God and give ourselves over to Him it will then be easy to tell them about how much He has blessed us and how He can bless them too.