Psalm 73

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 the burdens common to man;
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;
the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.

8 They scoff, and speak with malice;
in their 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 can God know?
Does the Most High have knowledge?"

12 This is what the wicked are like—
always carefree, they increase in wealth.

13 Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;
in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.

14 All day long I have been plagued;
I have been punished every morning.

15 If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed your children.

16 When I tried to understand all this,
it was oppressive to me

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 As a dream when one awakes,
so when you arise, O 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.

The Year of Sabbath has been a challenging year for me so far. This is especially so in the area of ministry. After putting in much time and effort, be it sweat or tears, there just weren't much results. In fact, I had people either leaving me or not responding to me much.

Honestly speaking, there were times when I felt like the psalmist when he wrote verses 3-14. To put it simply, I looked at the friends around me (those not in church), and questioned myself why am I giving so much time to serving God and getting disappointed whereas they seemed to be having the time of their lives (some earning lots of money, some got married, some working in big firms).

But in the end, I always come back to the same conclusion. What my friends are doing or enjoying now is temporal. Those things won't last. The psalmist said it all in verses 18-20.

As for us Christians, the most important result in serving God is NOT having many cell members (though I believe God will give). It is to be able to draw near to God and depend on Him 100%, just like what is described in verses 21-28.


"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." (verse 28) - this is my prayer today.


Things to ponder
1. Which of the following has a greater influence on you: your friends in school or your church people (including cell leader, cell brothers, etc)?
2. Do a heart-check. In what areas do you love the world more than you love following God? Elaborate on at least two areas.
3. Pray a prayer for yourself to have a desire to be near God and depend on him 100%. You can use any of the verses in Psalm 73.