My feet had almost stumbled....

 Psalm 73:1–28 (ESV): 

1  Truly God is good to Israel, 

to those who 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 arrogant 

when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 

4  For they have no pangs until death; 

their bodies are fat and sleek. 

5  They are not in trouble as others are; 

they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. 

6  Therefore pride is their necklace; 

violence covers them as a garment. 

7  Their eyes swell out through fatness; 

their hearts overflow with follies. 

8  They scoff and speak with malice; 

loftily they threaten oppression. 

9  They set their mouths against the heavens, 

and their tongue struts through the earth. 

10  Therefore his people turn back to them, 

and find no fault in them. 

11  And they say, “How can God know? 

Is there knowledge in the Most High?” 

12  Behold, these are the wicked; 

always at ease, they increase in riches. 

13  All in vain have I kept my heart clean 

and washed my hands in innocence. 

14  For all the day long I have been stricken 

and rebuked every morning. 

15  If I had said, “I will speak thus,” 

I would have betrayed the generation of your children. 

16  But when I thought how to understand this, 

it seemed to me a wearisome task, 

17  until I went into the sanctuary of God; 

then I discerned their end. 

18  Truly you set them in slippery places; 

you make them fall to ruin. 

19  How they are destroyed in a moment, 

swept away utterly by terrors! 

20  Like a dream when one awakes, 

O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms. 

21  When my soul was embittered, 

when I was pricked in heart, 

22  I was brutish and ignorant; 

I was like a beast toward you. 

23  Nevertheless, I am continually with you; 

you hold my right hand. 

24  You guide me with your counsel, 

and afterward you will receive me to glory. 

25  Whom have I in heaven but you? 

And there is nothing on earth that 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  For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; 

you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. 

28  But for me it is good to be near God; 

I have made the Lord God my refuge, 

that I may tell of all your works. 

Ever felt jealous and envious of those who do not follow God? Maybe because they ‘are not stricken like the rest of mankind’ and do not live to good moral standards yet seem to prosper. They seem to do better, have more stuff, and they enjoy life in a way you do not. Asaph clearly felt like this, he was jealous of the worldly gains of the wicked when he compared his life to theirs he saw that his is hard, and theirs easy. When you live your life following God it can feel like there are restrictions upon you, rules that stop you having the same type of fun and entering into certain relationships. If you have noticed this and it has bothered you, don’t worry, Asaph the chief musician of Israel from the tribe of Levi - a key worship leader, felt the same! 

If you compare your God-following life with those who do not, you can feel like you can’t do certain things, have less, give more, don’t seem to be as ‘lucky’ and life is a struggle most of the time. You talk different, dress different and act different because you faithfully follow what God has to say about these things instead of following the culture. However you undergo internal and external pressure, difficulty and stress as a result. Asaph saw this and admits, ‘my feet had almost stumbled’. He felt really pressured and enticed by the life of those who were living disregarding God, as he saw that the ‘wicked’ people ‘are not stricken like the rest of mankind’. They can do what they like and not care about it, their lot seems easy and enjoyable. So he was intrigued and found their lifestyle inviting. Asaph, one who has written many worship songs and prayers through the book of Psalms, and was responsible for leading others to honour, love and worship God felt like this. This shows me that none of us are exempt from temptation, we all want to have a fun and easy life, don't you?

Have you ever been tempted to join the ranks of the wicked? We probably all are, and some do. They look at the contrast between the people who follow God and those who do not, and the christian life looks restrictive, boring and responsible, so leading life without God seems simpler, freer and exciting. It is no wonder that Asaph observes that, ‘his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them. And they say, “How can God know?”’ Have you noticed the same? Some people get fed up, and so when an attractive temptation comes along they convince themselves that it is not too bad, that “everyone is doing it” so it doesn’t really matter and, ‘How can God know?’ These people initially convince themselves that it is not so bad, and surely God wants them to have a good and easy life, maybe God won't even notice. Asaph admits that he, 'almost stumbled'.  He had begun to persuade himself that maybe there was a better life waiting for him outside of God's domain. Leading an ungodly life intrigued and enticed him as he saw that those who do not follow God are, ‘always at ease, they increase in riches.’ Asaph wondered, could he live his life like those others who do not follow God? For he has kept himself pure of heart and lived obeying God, leading worship, faithfully following and serving God’s people, but he does not have what these others do. Is that fair? (V13-14). His life is dutiful and God-honouring, but it is not always rewarding. In fact it can be boring and hard work at times.

Before Asaph gave up his faithful, obedient, God-honouring life, he spent some time considering this comparison he saw between the faithful and the wicked. He tried to get his head around it but he couldn’t, he says it wore him out (v16). It didn’t make sense to him and he got tired of trying to understand. So, what he did next was key. He didn’t just abandon the life he had been living following God to explore the alternative straight away, but he went to God (v17). 

The psalm does not say that he spoke to God about what was going on, but that he simply, ‘went into the sanctuary of God’. He met with God, placing himself in His presence. Even though at this time Asaph was feeling resentful, annoyed and hard done by, he still chose to be with God. Sometimes, just being in God’s presence, getting close to Him, spending time with him, with or without words or music, can cause things to make sense or to seem not that important any more. This is what Asaph found. Whilst in the presence of God, he had a revelation; ‘then I discerned their end’. Whilst in the presence of the Almighty, connecting with the creator and protector of life, Asaph has a realisation. He recognises that those who do not follow God, ‘are destroyed in a moment’. They may seemingly enjoy life and have much, but one day the life they have lived will end. The luxuries, fun, relationships and investment in earthly things will be; destroyed, broken apart, ruined. ‘For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you’ (V27). Is that the end you want to your life story? Asaph didn't!

So, no matter how enticing and enjoyable the present life of others looks, do not be tempted or distracted - they are heading for ruin. Instead, do as Asaph did and get into God’s presence. Spend time with Him. Then you will see the reality of a life lived away from Him. Do you want to take the risk of having a lifestyle that is seemingly good now, at the expense of the eternal peace, comfort and steadfast love that God gives? Is anything worth sacrificing that for? When you are tempted to live a different kind of life, to sin, to turn your back on faith, what is your response? Asaph, ‘went into the sanctuary of God’. He approached God, chose to get near to Him. He didn’t hide, run away or follow the wicked, but he went into the sanctuary - into God’s presence. Why not try that for yourself next time temptation comes - chose to get close to God and see what will be revealed to you. Asaph declares, ‘for me it is good to be near God’ and, 'there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you', what do you think?