Walking Through Ephesians
“Be Aware Of Envy”
Categories: Seeing God Through the PsalmsBe Aware Of Envy
Psalms 73 is so current. It is so easy to look at the rich and famous and grow envious of them. We see them die with a smile on their face. They die in strength. Seemingly, they have no trouble. They live in nice homes. They drive nice cars. They are popular. They take exotic vacations (vs. 3-12). It is easy to ask, “God, don’t you care about the righteous? They suffer. They give it all up for You. God, I know you are good but…”
Asaph had three choices. He could abandon his faith and run with the wicked, he could hold on to his faith in hypocrisy and fake it, or he could look to God for answers.
When Asaph goes to the house of God, he gains a different perspective. He sees life from God’s point of view. Now he sees from the 30,000 foot point of view. Now he understands. One reason the rich and famous enjoy life as they do and die with a smile on their face is because they do not know what they face. The godless life is a mirage. It has a sad end. It is not fulfilling. They are living miserable and do not know it. When Asaph realized how he had been thinking, he was grieved (vs. 21-22). He was looking only at the here and now. He was giving no thought to the consequences of that lifestyle.
Asaph now knows the reward of the world, but what of his own fate? The wicked are on the wrong road. They may appear to have health, wealth, and worldly success, but they don’t have God. Therefore, they don’t have anything! He realizes this one great truth. When he has God, he has everything. He has no want. He has ultimate success. He knows that those who draw near to the Lord will have true strength and prosperity (vs. 26 -28).
He concludes, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none on earth that I desire besides you” (vs. 25).
Coming to the house of God is so important. It brings us back to the fundamental of what life is really all about. In our materialistic world, none of us is beyond taking our eyes off God and looking at the world and worldly people. When we begin to measure ourselves to them and their lifestyle, we will always be lacking. No one can keep up with them. When we see life from God’s point of view, we see how really blessed we are. We see what the worldly do not have. We see their poverty among their riches. We see their wrinkles that are covered by the make-up of worldly success.
Come before God. Let Him show what life is all about. Let Him show us true wealth and success. Ah, to be with God! There is peace!
Action items:
- Next time we go to the house of God, thank God for allowing us to see things from His point of view.
- God’s point of view is the only point of view that explains life and gives life value.
