Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. (Ps. 73:25)
EVERY ONCE AND A WHILE, we notice that someone else seems to have it better than we do. Maybe at work we notice that a coworker is treated much better than we were. Maybe a colleague has better connections and gets a promotion while we work harder with no result. Sometimes the good die young while selfish pleasure-seekers seems to live long, trouble-free lives. It does not seem fair.
Of course, reality may not square with our perception of things. That was the discovery of the psalmist. He noticed how some of the wicked in his context seemed to prosper. They seemed healthy and free of burdens. It was tempting to envy them in their life of sin. After all, they seemed to have a life without consequences.
Nevertheless, the psalm writer regains a proper focus. He realizes that he’s been acting like a brute animal. God will take care of justice when it comes to others. That is never our concern. We need to focus on our own relationship with God.
In the end, the psalmist trusts in God. God is the one who guides us through life, and God is the one who will receive us in death. Our ultimate desires should not be on earth but on heaven. Our focus should be on God, our greatest advocate.
Focus your attention on God, not on those who ignore Him.
Ken Schenck is dean of the School of Theology and Ministry and professor of New Testament and ancient languages at Indiana Wesleyan University. His publications include The Early Church: Reaching the World (WPH) and more.
© 2018 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
