Read: Psalm 73
When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is established forever. (Prov. 10:25)
It’s tempting to envy the prosperity of those the Bible calls “the wicked” or “the ungodly”—that is, people of the world. These aren’t necessarily extremely evil people; rather they are, in the psalmist’s words, “those who are far from [God]” (Ps. 73:27). They live as though God doesn’t really matter, as if this world is all there is—and some of them live very well indeed. Their lives and possessions, their mansions and super yachts, their doings and sayings, are all over our social media. We may look at it all and think, wouldn’t it be nice to be that rich, or even a fraction of that rich?
The psalmist sometimes thought like that. In the first part of his prayer he confesses his resentment of the godless rich. He shared the common attitude of his day, that good people should be blessed and bad people punished—in this life. He was disturbed by the sight of bad people who never had a care in the world and died rich and satisfied. But then one day he went into the temple and gained an eternal perspective.
One of the biggest mistakes we make in thinking about the justice and goodness of God is jumping to premature conclusions. Who wins and who loses, who’s had it good and who’s had it bad—that’s not decided in this life. Only the final judgement will reveal all. —David Bast
As you pray, say with the psalmist, “there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you” (v. 25).
About the Author
Rev. Dave Bast retired as the President and Broadcast Minister of Words of Hope in January 2017, after 23 years with the ministry. Prior to his ministry and work at Words of Hope, Dave served as a pastor for 18 years in congregations in the Reformed Church in America. He is the author of several devotional books. A graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, he has also studied at both the Fuller and Calvin seminaries. Dave and his wife, Betty Jo, have four children and four grandchildren. Dave enjoys reading, growing tomatoes, and avidly follows the Detroit Tigers.
