Show Me the Money

Psalm 73:2-3: "But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked."

Here we find Asaph struggling as he watched others enjoying their material wealth while he was plagued with financial needs. In verse 16, Asaph writes, "When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me." He struggled with this intense desire to have what others had. It was not until he had a close encounter with God that he realized that God was in control and ultimately would reward everyone according to his obedience to Him. As Acts 17:26 suggests, God determined the time in eternity when we would live on the earth as well as the setting in which we would live. After Asaph realized all these things, he confessed to the Lord that he had been senseless and ignorant before the Lord (vs. 22). With this paradigm shift, Asaph was able to understand that God was all he really needed. In verse 25, he wrote, "Whom have I in heaven but you. And earth has nothing I desire besides you . . . . God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." In verse 28, Asaph wrote, "it is good to be near God." Asaph was able to understand that intimacy with God was sufficient to sustain him through life. He knew that he might not have all of the material resources that others had at their disposal; but Asaph knew that purpose, fulfillment, peace, and contentment would only come through an encounter with the Sovereign Lord.