Bible Reading Blog
“Senseless and Ignorant”
Categories: Congregational Bible ReadingBIBLE READING: Psalm 73
“I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.… When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply...” (Psalm 73.3, 16, NIV)
When children play together, there will inevitably be a dispute over toys. One child has a toy the other child wants, and when they can’t have it… things get emotional. I have observed that usually it has nothing to do with the toy and everything to do with wanting what someone else has. Whatever toy the other child has at that moment – and seem to be having fun with – is the toy other kids want.
Their immaturity is evident, but we’re not that different at times. We fixate on the success and prosperity of others, especially when we are unable to achieve that ourselves. We become discontent with where we are and what we have, and our minds become dominated by comparison.
Like this psalmist, all of this is driven by what we see and want. Like Asaph, we see others experiencing good health, comfort, and affluence and think to ourselves, “That’s what I need.” We invest our time and emotion in the pursuit of something we believe will satisfy. The reality is we’re trying to get that toy that won’t remedy the true desire we have.
Asaph later admitted his thinking was not influenced by wisdom or reality. “When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.” (Psalm 73.22). That’s a pretty negative way to describe one's self; but it highlights to foolishness of how we respond to the world at times. We react with emotion instead of information. We forget that “for everything there is a season” (Ecclesiastes 3) and “all things work together for good” (Romans 8.28). We set our mind on things below instead of things above (Colossians 3.2)
In the middle of the psalm, Asaph gets his eyes off the world and himself, and he focuses upward. As he's focusing on God, his thinking changes. He starts to realize what the reality is. Even though by worldly standard, Asaph doesn't have a lot, he realizes he's the one with everything because he has God.
“Whom have I heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73.25-26)
The world will always be a rat race of comparison. Let’s not ignorantly get caught in the flow of politics, culture and comparison. If we get our eyes off ourselves, our problems, our wants and lacks, and off of what everyone else seems to have, we realize how blessed we really are just for knowing God. May we find contentment and confidence in his power and presence.
“…those who are far from you will perish… but for me it is good to be near God my refuge; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” (Psalm 73.27-28)
