I’m reading, this morning, from Psalm 73. There are days when I digress from the beaten path of scheduled readings and simply flip my Bible open. Where it lands may be luck or chance… but maybe it’s God… And the lessons that I often learn in those moments of wandering through the Word take on a unique importance for me. Because I’m not searching but find wisdom anyway, I feel that I’ve been guided to a message that God Himself prepared for me… And for a seeking, planning, structure-loving guy like me, that is something special.

So, having arrived at Psalm 73, I am challenged by it’s message. In short, it demonstrates that integrity pays off. I’ve heard countless pastors and assorted church folk talk about integrity as the distinction between true Christ-followers and religious actors. I’ve heard integrity defined as “doing what’s right just because it’s right”. This integrity may be lumped in with “character”, which I’ve heard defined as “what you do when no one is watching”. Webster contributes such concepts as honesty, moral uprightness, internal unity, consistency, and lack of corruption to the mix. It all sounds great to me. So what is the psalmist whining about?

At the outset, we find Asaph (the psalmist) recalling a time of ignorance and confusion in his life. For all his integrity and self-satisfaction and ability to sleep at night, he is upset that those who aren’t “playing by the rules” always seem to win. He doubts the wisdom of his decision to live in righteousness since he feels that only the cheaters win and only the ruthless rule. Their success, wealth, and power are constantly displayed before him and he begins to envy them… begins to wonder why he is even wasting his time trying to do the right thing. He feels betrayed by God, though he doesn’t express this feeling publicly. The Message interprets his frustration in these words:

“What’s going on here? Is God out to lunch? … I’ve been stupid to play by the rules.

What has it gotten me? A long run of bad luck… a slap in the face every time I walk out the door.”

The fact is, the way of the world was starting to get to Asaph. Sinful, human default says to amass whatever you can at the expense of others, follow your own plans and desires, and do only the minimum necessary to skate by. And though the psalmist knew that this was wrong, he wondered why God allowed disobedient people to get ahead and enjoy success with such regularity. Had he been forgotten? … or simply ignored?

Did I mention that Asaph was a worship leader, like me? He didn’t speak about his internal struggle publicly because he would have negatively influenced the thoughts of the people that he led. He silently battled for understanding and, in looking at the situation through the lens that took only immediate wins and losses into account, he could not make sense of it. It has been said that to look at the things of God through the world’s lens is only confusion, but to look at the world through the lens of God’s Word is understanding. For all his musical talent and leadership skills and prophetic abilities, Asaph had the same doubts and difficulties that everyone else has!

I can relate to Asaph and I can certainly identify with the circumstances by which all of his concerns were dissolved and all of his anger dismissed.

“When I tried to figure it out, all I got was a splitting headache…

Until I entered the sanctuary of God. Then I saw the whole picture.”

I’ve tried, many times, to make sense of things in my own way. I’ve tried, more times than I care to recount, to do things my own way. My foolishness is always made plain in the light of God’s Spirit. All of that time wasted looking at life from a perspective that doesn’t account for God’s justice and favor becomes obviously childish and my eyes are opened to the faithfulness of God to honor those who do His will… and to judge those who do not.

As you worship God today, begin to see the “whole picture”… Find strength and encouragement in the knowledge that He will reward your integrity in His time and in His way… and He will not allow the actions of the unjust to go unchecked. Don’t let the success of cheaters, liars, thieves, and other ruthless people get you down. Your success is eternal and your God is sovereign. Amen.