Psalm 73

This psalm reveals God’s judgment of the wicked as opposed to the outcome of those who remain pure in heart and continue to seek God.  

The writer (presumably David) may have been thinking about doing something that God had forbidden, for in verse 2 he says, “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold”. The writer had looked around and noticed that some people seemed to “have it all” with no apparent problems, great prosperity and good health. He also observes that they seemed to suffer no consequences for getting ahead by cheating or oppressing others.  On top of that, they were arrogant and displayed a taunting attitude toward God. 

The writer begins to question his own struggle to keep his heart clean toward God and wonders if he has wasted his time and effort in following God.

While he is struggling to understand this, he does something that changes his entire perspective. He enters the Sanctuary of God, the Most Holy Place.  It is there that God reveals to him the fate of those the writer has envied. He sees that those who ignored God were ultimately destroyed by God’s wrath but those who followed God were provided refuge from that wrath. 

Now it all made sense!  No matter how good the wicked seem to have it, they are ultimately doomed. In contrast, despite their sufferings, those who follow God are spared.

When we are tempted to compromise in our walk with Jesus, we need to do exactly what the writer of this psalm did.  Only, as Christians, we cannot enter into the physical sanctuary in the Jewish temple that existed in David’s time.  But when Christ died on the cross, the veil of the temple was torn top to bottom revealing that we now have direct access to the Most High God through His son, Jesus. We are free to come to the Father anywhere and at any time. The suffering and sacrifice of Jesus made this possible! 

And the Holy Spirit helps us to be bold in our requests. When we ask God for help, He always hears, and gives answers that are for our ultimate good.  We must ask, listen and obey. 

He is the Father we can always trust.  He loves His children and will never leave us without His divine help and guidance.  What a privilege we have through what Christ accomplished on the cross. Praise Him!