God is indeed good to Israel,
to those who have pure hearts.
But I had nearly lost confidence;
my faith was almost gone
because I was jealous of the proud
when I saw that things go well for the wicked.
They do not suffer pain;
they are strong and healthy.
They do not suffer as other people do;
they do not have the troubles that others have.
And so they wear pride like a necklace
and violence like a robe;
their hearts pour out evil,
and their minds are busy with wicked schemes.
They laugh at other people and speak of evil things;
they are proud and make plans to oppress others.
They speak evil of God in heaven
and give arrogant orders to everyone on earth,
so that even God’s people turn to them
and eagerly believe whatever they say.
They say, “God will not know;
the Most High will not find out.”
That is what the wicked are like.
They have plenty and are always getting more.
Is it for nothing, then, that I have kept myself pure
and have not committed sin?
O God, you have made me suffer all day long;
every morning you have punished me.
If I had said such things,
I would not be acting as one of your people.
I tried to think this problem through,
but it was too difficult for me
until I went into your Temple.
Then I understood what will happen to the wicked.
You will put them in slippery places
and make them fall to destruction!
They are instantly destroyed;
they go down to a horrible end.
They are like a dream that goes away in the morning;
when you rouse yourself, O Lord, they disappear. (Good News Translation)
The psalmist Asaph communicated his own experience, which is really the experience of all Israel, and of all who genuinely seek to follow God.
Everyone who is truly pure in heart will struggle, at times, to make sense of all the impurity and injustice in the world. Even a cursory observation of this old world clearly sees that it is a broken messed up place.
Those observations challenge the faithful with questions such as, “Is God really good?” and “Is maintaining my purity and faithfulness worth it?”
Most often, the response to those questions is “Yes, but…”
Arrogant people prosper. They get away with being jerks. And it isn’t fair. Good people continually face adversity and hardship. Nothing comes easy. And it doesn’t make sense.
Contemplating this reality for too long can lead to a spiritual crisis of faith. It can produce doubt. It is likely to either morph into anger and bitterness, or a passive “meh” to most things in life.
However, observational appearances can be deceiving. There is much more to seeing than with our two physical eyes. There is the kind of sight which God has:
“I do not judge as people judge. They look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7
In truth, the real and actual power of arrogantly wicked people is their ability to create envy and jealousy in the righteous persons.
We need a different way of seeing, a reorientation of our limited understanding of life. Look at the world, containing both the wicked and the righteous, from an angle you haven’t seen before.
For Asaph, this breakthrough perspective happened in the sanctuary of his God. The psalmist began to see that the seeming wealth, health, and invincibility of the arrogant is merely a façade. Their true future is anything but prosperous.
Asaph also had a reorientation of himself. He began to understand and accept that his own heart had the shadows of bitterness and ignorance. He himself had too much vice hiding in his heart.
With the spiritual eyes of the heart, we can focus in on the presence of God. The Lord’s guidance is constant, even when it doesn’t seem like it. God’s handle on the future is secure.
The arrogant and the wicked will not last. There is a day coming when they will not rule over anything. Their end is a sure thing.
The wise heart discerns that not everything I see today will be the same tomorrow. Therefore, I can plan wisely for the future, and be patient that the goodness of God will ultimately prevail over it all. This orientation to life brings confidence and hope.
Wisdom also directs us to discern that our hope and confidence can wax and wane. Just because we may be full of faith, hope, and love today, does not mean that from here-on-out we will never have to struggle with these feelings of jealousy, envy, disappointment, and anger.
Far too often we think emotions can be easily replaced, the negative ones for the positive, envy for happiness, or jealousy for satisfaction.
However, we are more complex creatures than that, having the capacity to hold multiple emotions at the same time. Sometimes, the best thing is to recognize that I can be happy, even though I am sad, without ignoring or stuffing the sadness.
Consider this: At the same time, all the time, God is both terribly sad, as well as quite exuberant. The Lord both grieves and celebrates continually. That’s because God sees it all.
And if I were to see the entire scope of your life, I am sure there are aspects of that life which are joyous, and elements which are despondent, with great longing for change.
Asaph got a much fuller picture of how things actually are in this world. And with that more expansive perspective he discovered a sense of settled hope, despite the fact that nothing in his world had changed at all.
Indeed, I myself am to be the change that I long for in this world. And it starts with gaining a perspective of wisdom, and seeing the angle of immateriality.
Arrogant pride, hoarding of wealth, and injustice will not last forever. They are temporary. But there are permanent things in this universe, and none of them have to do with money or stuff.
When all is said and done, Love survives and thrives. God hasn’t gone anywhere. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Spirit is still alongside us.
And the wicked are no more.
So, may righteousness, justice, and peace surround you today and everyday like a warm security blanket of hope. And may you know that you are seen and loved by a God who cares. Amen.
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 