Slideshow image

Imagine climbing a rugged mountain trail, gravel crunching beneath your feet. Suddenly, your foot slips. Your heart leaps into your throat. In that split second, everything shifts—your vision, your balance, your sense of security. This visceral experience captures the spiritual crisis at the heart of Psalm 73, a ancient song that speaks powerfully to our modern struggles with faith, doubt, and perspective.

The Slippery Slope of Envy

Psalm 73 opens with a confident declaration: "God, indeed, you are good to Israel and to all who are pure in heart." But almost immediately, the tone shifts dramatically. The psalmist, a worship leader and prophet named Asaph, confesses: "But as for me, my feet almost slipped. My steps nearly went astray. For I envied the arrogant. I saw the prosperity of the wicked."

This honest admission reveals a universal spiritual struggle. How many of us have stood where Asaph stood, watching others seemingly glide through life while we trudge through difficulty? How often have we wondered if devotion even matters when those who appear to ignore God's ways seem to prosper more than the faithful?

Asaph's crisis wasn't rooted in unbelief but in a shift of perspective. He found himself wrestling with a troubling contradiction: If God is good and just, why do the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer?

The Prosperity That Troubles Us

The psalmist paints a vivid picture of those he envies. These people experience no pain in death, their strength remains firm. They're not troubled like others. Pride hangs around their necks like jewelry. Violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes bulge with abundance. They scoff and speak wickedly, looking down on those who suffer.

This description resonates across the centuries. We see it in our headlines today—individuals who engage in unethical practices yet seem to thrive. We watch as those who cut corners succeed while honest people struggle. We witness criminals profit from their crime stories. The questions Asaph asked echo in our own hearts: If God is just, shouldn't the unjust flounder? Shouldn't only the godly prosper?

Standing on this slippery slope of envy, Asaph's vision grew dim. God's plan, purpose, and protection faded from sight, replaced by the glittering illusion of worldly success. His faith felt heavy while the wicked seemed untouched by trouble.

A Crucial Truth About Doubt

Here's something vital to understand: doubt is not the enemy of faith. Doubt is a companion on the journey. Asaph was a prophet, a worship leader, someone deeply committed to God—yet he struggled. His feet nearly slipped. He found himself "slipping into darkness," as one might say.

These moments of weakness and questioning don't disqualify us from faith. They connect us to an honest spiritual tradition that makes room for our humanity. The question isn't whether we'll experience doubt, but what we'll do when we find ourselves on shaky ground.

The Turning Point: Until

Verse 17 marks the pivotal moment in Psalm 73: "Until I went into the sanctuary. Then I understood their end."

One word—"until"—changes everything. Before this moment, Asaph was lost in bitterness and confusion. But stepping into the sanctuary, whether a physical temple or a spiritual space of meditation and worship, lifted the fog. His perspective shifted dramatically.

In that sacred space, clarity broke through. Asaph didn't find answers by arguing with arrogance or by staring harder at the wealth of the wicked. He found understanding by changing his position. He moved from the street corner of "woe is me" to a place where faith and doubt could sit down together and have an honest conversation.

From this new vantage point, Asaph saw what he'd missed: the wicked also stood on slippery ground. Their success was temporary, their end uncertain. Their apparent prosperity was an illusion that wouldn't last.

The Confession of New Sight

The shift in perspective led Asaph to a humble confession: "God, I was senseless and ignorant. I was like a beast toward you." He realized he'd been measuring life by worldly standards, and from that position, he could only find envy and despair. The view from that place was never true.

But now, with renewed vision, Asaph declared: "Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel and afterward you will receive me into glory."

In God's presence—in that sanctuary where faith and doubt met—he gained a new perspective for life. He saw that true prosperity isn't measured in material gain, health, or worldly success. Real abundance is found in God's steady presence, guidance, and eternal promise.

Checking Our Footing

This ancient psalm offers a profound challenge for our lives today: Where we stand determines what we see.

When envy stirs, when doubt whispers, when our faith feels shaky, we must check our footing. Where are we standing? Are we measuring our lives against worldly standards of success? Are we fixating on what others have while missing what we've been given?

A change in position can open our eyes to new reality. Moving into spaces of meditation, prayer, scripture, and community can transform our sight. The sanctuary—whether physical or spiritual—becomes the place where perspective shifts and clarity emerges.

An Invitation to the Sanctuary

This week, consider entering your own sanctuary. Find a place where you can be honest about both your faith and your doubts. Allow them to coexist without shame. Gather with others who are on the same journey. Stand in spaces that remind you of eternal truths rather than temporary illusions.

As Marianne Williamson wrote, "Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how blessed we are." Perhaps the blessing has been there all along, waiting for us to change our stance so we can see it clearly.

When your foot slips, when darkness threatens, when envy clouds your vision—remember that a shift in position can restore your sight. Where we stand truly does determine what we see. Choose to stand in the sanctuary, and watch how your vision transforms.