Psalm 73–Reflection and Deliberation, and More

Last night, I opened my Bible to read out of the Psalms. There is a certain method of reading them that I use–but it is not original with me, so I will not take credit for any of it. But the method is, to take the current date and read that Psalm. Yesterday was the 13th, so I read the 13th Psalm, then you add 30 and read the Psalm that equals the sum. (Huh, that almost rimes!!;-) So I read Psalm 43. And you just do that until you have no more Psalms to read. Anyways… So, I was doing that, I read the 13th, 43rd, then the 73rd. And as soon as I read the 2nd and 3rd verses of Psalm 73, I immediately knew it was about me. Or most of it at least.

Below is not the exact version I wanted, but it is close enough, I think. I was reading out of the Life Application Study Bible (NLT), but this is just plain NLT, but I think it is close enough. I changed some of the really important parts to the Life Application words. Because they are more…..applicable, I guess. 🙂

By the way, I really like the Life Application Bible (and it actually has a small story for God’s glory itself!!) for reading the Psalms and Proverbs and such like. Especially over the KJV just because it is easier to understand. Not that Psalms or Proverbs is confusing, it is just the KJV is…as I am sure you all know already. (But I will say that I like to memorize in the King James.)

So, I liked this Psalm because I could identify with it. And I thought I would share it with you.

Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.

¹ Truly God is good to Israel,
to those whose hearts are pure.
² But as for me, I came so close to the edge of the cliff!
My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
³ For I envied the proud
when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
⁴ They seem to live such painless lives;
their bodies are so healthy and strong.
⁵ They don’t have troubles like other people;
they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
⁶ They wear pride like a jeweled necklace
and clothe themselves with cruelty.
⁷ These fat cats have everything
their hearts could ever wish for!
⁸ They scoff and speak only evil;
in their pride they seek to crush others.
⁹ They boast against the very heavens,
and their words strut throughout the earth.
¹⁰ And so the people are dismayed and confused,
drinking in all their words.
¹¹ “What does God know?” they ask.
“Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”
¹² Look at these wicked people—
enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.

¹³ Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?
Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?
¹⁴ I get nothing but trouble all day long;
every morning brings me pain.

¹⁵ If I had really spoken this way to others,
I would have been a traitor to your people.
¹⁶ So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.
But what a difficult task it is!
¹⁷ Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,
and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
¹⁸ Truly, you put them on a slippery path
and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
¹⁹ In an instant they are destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors.
²⁰ When you arise, O Lord,
you will laugh at their silly ideas
as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

²¹ Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
and I was all torn up inside.
²² I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
²³ Yet I still belong to you;
you hold my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
²⁶ My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.

²⁷ Those who desert him will perish,
for you destroy those who abandon you.
²⁸ But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

I think it is so true. And it is comforting to know that it is not just in the modern age that the wicked/ungodly have ‘prospered’. Not that the godly do not prosper, but it just seems like the wicked “strut throughout the earth.” The end resolves the beginning.

Always strive to prosper in God, not in the world. “Lay up treasures in Heaven.”

This is becoming a rather long post, but I feel like I must…..deliberate some more…

And after Psalm 73, and 103, I read Psalm 133 and it kind of goes along a little bit…..

When we follow after the ungodly, the proud and wicked, we do not have harmony with our brothers in Christ. And when we are proud ourselves, we have absolute unharmony…that is not a word.

Psalm 133

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.

¹ How wonderful and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in harmony!
² For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil
that was poured over Aaron’s head,
that ran down his beard
and onto the border of his robe.
³ Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon
that falls on the mountains of Zion.
And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing,
even life everlasting.

Christopher D.