21 Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was vexed in my mind.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.—Psalm 73:21-26
Asaph is struggling here with sins of envy, evil thoughts and discontent. Specifically why do the wicked prosper…why are they at ease even though violence covers them like a garment. Verse 2 and 3 tell us that he had almost succumbed to this temptation, until he went into the sanctuary of his God.
16 When I thought how to understand this,
It was too painful for me—
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end.
Asaph goes to the right place in his sin and his struggles. He brings his heart to God.
Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.—Psalm 62:8
I was in this same place last night as I prayed and read the Scriptures before bed. My heart was convicted and my spirit pricked. I felt as Asaph described…foolish, ignorant and like a beast before Him. My sin loomed large and gross in the light of my holy, good and merciful God. I went to the devotional I had written that morning and was singularly comforted. My God knew at the beginning of yesterday what I would need from Him by evening. I remembered that despite all my failures and shortcomings, I am beloved of God. There is nothing that can separate me from His love…not even me. Asaph says it perfectly.
Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Beloved of God…Truly, it is good for us to draw near to our God and put our trust in Him. We are weak, but He is strong.
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.—2 Corinthians 12:9-10
