506_It is good to be near God

Psalm 73:1-6 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.

Vs. 23-28 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.

A girl who freshly graduated, was in her first year working at a large company. She was diligent, honest, and often stayed late to finish her work. She assumed that hard work and integrity would be noticed. But when promotion season came, the recognition went to a colleague who, in her words, “spent more time flattering the boss than doing actual work.” This colleague cut corners, took credit for others’ ideas, and seemed to play the system perfectly. She said, “I didn’t just feel overlooked—I felt foolish, like maybe I was the one doing life wrong.”

That deep ache when the world seems upside down is exactly where Asaph finds himself in Psalm 73. This psalm was written by one of King David’s chief musicians, a man who was not only skilled in music but also reflected deeply on the ways of God. The problem he addresses is as old as humanity itself: Why do bad things happen to good people, and why do the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer?

Asaph begins with a confident declaration: “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” He knows the history of his nation and the faithfulness of God, even in times when the people were unfaithful. But almost immediately, he admits to a personal crisis of faith: “My feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.” Why? “For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”

Envy has a way of twisting our perspective. It always begins with comparison—measuring our lives against someone else’s—and it is very dangerous. The first murder in history – when Cain killed Abel – was born of envy. So was the greatest injustice in history, the crucifixion of Jesus, driven in part by the envy of the religious leaders.

Asaph’s envy began with his seeing the untroubled prosperity and health of those who had no regard for God. “This is what the wicked are like,” he observed, “always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.” Unlike their weak victims, they were proud and apparently untouchable, speaking with arrogance and mocking God Himself: “Does the Most High know anything?”

His stream of thought brought him only discouragement and despair. In contrast to the wicked, his own life was filled with hardship, though he carefully aligned his life with his conscience each moment, in his quest to remain pure before God. “Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure,” he laments. “All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.” Asaph forgot that “whom the Lord loves, he disciplines, and chastens every son he receives.”

And to make matters worse, he could not express his feelings openly, for such doubts and questions might, he feared, harm the faith of God’s people. Happy is the man who remembers his duty to his fellows even when racked by personal anguish.

This inner wrestling continued until something happened that changed everything: “Until I entered the sanctuary of God.” And there, in God’s presence, his perspective shifted. His eyes began to see the reality of the danger in which the wicked lived. From God’s vantage point, their apparent security was a mirage—they were walking on “slippery ground,” one step away from disaster. In an instant, all they had could be swept away, and their end would be one of ruin. What looked enviable from a distance was, in truth, deeply unstable.

This realization broke through Asaph’s bitterness. He confessed, “When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a brute beast before You.” Envy and bitterness had reduced his thinking to an animal level—concerned only with comfort, ease, and immediate satisfaction—forgetting the eternal purposes for which God had made him.

Then, like sunlight after a storm, a deeper truth filled his heart: “Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory.” No longer did he envy the temporary ease of the wicked. He both enjoyed and looked forward to something infinitely greater—God’s presence, His guidance, and the hope of eternal glory.

And with this realization he exclaims with exceeding joy and contentment: “Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You.” Corrie ten Boom would echo this centuries later when she said, “You may never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.” For even in his weakness, Asaph now knew the joyful assurance that God Himself would be “the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” That was his unshakable security.

Asaph no longer questions whether serving God is worth it. Instead, he sees clearly: “Those who are far from You will perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, it is good to be near God.” That nearness is not just a comfort for those who love God and his ways—it’s the very foundation of all goodness in life.

And now he lifts up his voice. Once he kept silent out of misgivings and bitterness. But now he proclaims with confidence: “I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds.” The gnawing envy that once silenced him is now replaced with the complete satisfaction and contentment of being in the presence of God his refuge and his goodness. And this is naturally reflected in joyful testimony and praise.

We are on the same journey. When life feels unfair—when we see the dishonest promoted, the arrogant applauded, and the selfish rewarded—it’s easy to wonder if integrity even matters. But Psalm 73 invites us into the sanctuary, into the presence of God, to see things through His eyes.

There we realize afresh that we are still far from home, that the real story has not yet begun. And yet, we are surrounded and protected by the presence of God. Knowing this, we can rest in the most unfair circumstances.

When we feel overlooked, or when doing the right thing seems to cost too much, let us not surrender to envy. Let us quiet ourselves in the holy place, resting in God’s presence. He will remind us that He is our portion, our strength, and our ultimate reward. And so we too will be able to say with Asaph, “It is good for me to be near God.” This will not be a forced statement of faith, but the settled conviction of our hearts.

For our God is a God of wisdom and love and justice. On the day when he judges the earth, we will see that nothing we gave up to walk with God was wasted. And everything we gained in Him will last forever. God bless.