2 Corinthians 11
Psalm 73
Psalm 73. One of the reasons we love the Psalms is that they so often ring true with our own human experience. We can relate to the emotions described, whether positive or negative, and they often articulate in words what we sometimes struggle to articulate ourselves. For me, Psalm 73 is one of these Psalms.
God’s enduring patience with us when we lose sight of Him and find ourselves unsettled and even indignant at what we see around us, is the encouragement of this Psalm. In our broken world, we do see and feel the unfairness and injustice, seeing the wicked succeed and the good fail. And let’s be honest, our motives are not always as noble as they may seem. We are often the most upset and angry when we are the ones on the receiving end of what we perceive as unjust and unfair. How often have we found ourselves angry at God or doubting His goodness in the face of difficulty or trial? How often have we envied another person’s blessing and success, especially when they do not even acknowledge God’s existence? In Psalm 73 we see that this experience is certainly not unique and often can be the temptation for any of us this side of Heaven.
What we learn from this description of the psalmist’s experience, is the right way to respond when we see or experience doubt or anger at injustice. We are not to question our Father’s goodness or control, but to remember His faithfulness and our child-like dependence on Him. ‘You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel’ (verses 23 & 24); ‘My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever’ (verse 26). Truly our God is good and will always hold our hand, even when we are doubting children, throwing our tantrums and falling apart in the face of life’s difficulties. He is the perfect Father. Just as a parent sees their toddler’s tantrums, with their array of varying emotions when they don’t get things their way, our Father takes our hand in the midst of our fear, doubt and anger and reminds us that truly He is good (verse 1) and is our refuge (verse 28).