17Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end. (Psalm 73:1-28)
This Psalm was confusing to me until I spent some time studying it and praying about it. Then I saw that it expresses the feelings every true child of God has felt at one time or another. In the first sixteen verses, Asaph lamented the prosperity of the wicked. He said that it looked like evil people were getting away with sin. They seemed to prosper and not have the worries that godly people like himself had. Sound familiar?
In our society today, the only people who can be discriminated against are Christians. Every value we hold dear is being assaulted, and if we speak out we are called bigots and labeled intolerant. Immorality isn’t only practiced—it’s flaunted! Television programs, movies, newspapers, magazines, and books are filled with pictures of immoral acts. The people who influence us the most are, as a whole, the most immoral people in the nation; yet they receive infinitely more money and attention than the people who are godly. It’s been said that character is no longer an issue in politics. At times, as we read what our governmental leaders say and do, it appears that way.
This Psalm reveals that their seeming prosperity is only temporary. In the end their sin “will find them out” (Num. 32:23). Payday is coming. There is a reward for the godly and a punishment for the ungodly. Our responsibility as believers is not to hate and despise the ungodly; we are to pray for them and continue telling them the truth about salvation through Jesus Christ.
Take a lesson from Asaph today, and look at the ungodly through the eyes of your Savior. Then you will be able to love them, forgive them, and be a powerful witness of the truth to them.
