God is my Portion

¹ Surely God is good to Israel,
    to those who are pure in heart.

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

⁴ They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.
⁵ They are free from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
⁶ Therefore pride is their necklace;
    they clothe themselves with violence.

                                                  Psalm 73:1-6

 

Look around you.  See the prosperity of the wicked?  See the evil folks, with their strong and healthy bodies?   I see and know my struggles, while they seem to escape.  They aren't plagued by the human ills that always seem to be knocking on my door. 

 

At some point in the lives of each of us, we get down in the dumps when we start comparing ourselves with others.   We may be doing our best to be good Christian people yet we seem to be surrounded by bad things.  Then we see the prosperity of those who are evil.  It's no wonder the psalmist confessed in the verses above, "my feet almost slipped and I almost lost my foothold."

 

Here's the lesson we need to learn.  Verse 1 above is the key for each of us.  Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.  Memorize that verse and say it aloud when you are tempted to think and act as though God doesn't care about you.

 

We may feel discouraged when reading this section of Psalm 73, but God would never leave us feeling as though all was lost.  Look at the verses which begin in verse 23:

 

²³ Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever.

 

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