Day 91

Deuteronomy 18:1–20:20; Luke 9:28-50; Psalm 73:1-28; Proverbs 12:10

AS THE SEASONS begin to change and we enter a new month, we are invited by the Scriptures to consider the posture of our hearts. In our reading from Psalm 73 today, Asaph —the author of this psalm —poured his heart out with questions we’ve probably all faced. Essentially, he said, “Why do proud and wicked people get to have an easy life of health and prosperity, while I try my best to be good and devout but only seem to struggle? Am I trying to do good for no reason? Does any of this matter? Because it’s only making me bitter.”

Those are stark and honest sentiments that we’ve all likely shared at one point or another. It was only when Asaph entered God’s presence that he began to understand. He realized that complaining about everyone else’s life was ignorant and foolish. “I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you,” he told God (Psalm 73:22).

Asaph realized that his identity was not in how well he was doing compared to someone else. His identity was found in knowing God. Once he reoriented his heart to the fact that he belonged to God, the overwhelming hope of being God’s child became the clarity he sought: “I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny” (Psalm 73:23-24).

We are each invited into a grand collaboration with God: life. When we lose sight of this collaboration, we begin to look around at those who seem to have an easier path. Unfortunately, this is a fruitless distraction. Identity cannot be found by simply having more than someone else. Our identity is found in our relationship with God.

We must recalibrate our hearts as Asaph did when we feel the pull of jealousy and bitterness, and as we do so, we have the ancient words of Psalm 73 to help:

As for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

PRAYER:

Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.