Yet, I Still Belong to You

Psalm 73 (NIV)
A psalm of Asaph.
 1Surely God is good to Israel,
       to those who are pure in heart.
 2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
       I had nearly lost my foothold.
 3 For I envied the arrogant
       when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
 4 They have no struggles;
       their bodies are healthy and strong. [a]
 5 They are free from the burdens common to man;
       they are not plagued by human ills.
 6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
       they clothe themselves with violence.
 7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity [b] ;
       the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
 8 They scoff, and speak with malice;
       in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
 9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
       and their tongues take possession of the earth.
 10 Therefore their people turn to them
       and drink up waters in abundance. [c]
 11 They say, "How can God know?
       Does the Most High have knowledge?"
 12 This is what the wicked are like—
       always carefree, they increase in wealth.
 13 Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;
       in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
 14 All day long I have been plagued;
       I have been punished every morning.
 15 If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
       I would have betrayed your children.
 16 When I tried to understand all this,
       it was oppressive to me
 17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;
       then I understood their final destiny.
 18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;
       you cast them down to ruin.
 19 How suddenly are they destroyed,
       completely swept away by terrors!
 20 As a dream when one awakes,
       so when you arise, O Lord,
       you will despise them as fantasies.
 21 When my heart was grieved
       and my spirit embittered,
 22 I was senseless and ignorant;
       I was a brute beast before you.
 23 Yet I am always with you;
       you hold me by my right hand.
 24 You guide me with your counsel,
       and afterward you will take me into glory.
 25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
       And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
 26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
       but God is the strength of my heart
       and my portion forever.
 27 Those who are far from you will perish;
       you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
 28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
       I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
       I will tell of all your deeds.

Envy is invisible and hides itself  

Envy sucks joy out of our lives

Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)
     A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

Envy poisons us psychologically and socially

Envy reveals our true idols and helps us understand our own hearts


1. Overcoming envy and discouragement is a process that begins with honesty before God!

Psalm 73:15
       If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children.

Psalm 73: 13, 16 (NIV)
     Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
… When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me.

Psalm 73:16-19 (NIV)
     When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.  Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!

2. God is always trustworthy to build our lives on, even if it does not feel that way sometimes – and He will always confirm this is the long term

Psalm 73: 23-24 (NIV)
      Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny…

3. Even in the midst of my doubting, God never lets us go – and He is working quietly behind the scenes to give me the desires of my heart

Psalm 73:16 (NIV)
    … My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever

Psalm 73:26, 28 (NIV)
      My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever… But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;  I will tell of all your deeds.

4. Only when we worship and fully experience the unconditional grace of God does envy lose its power over our lives

Psalm 73:16-17 (NIV)
      When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God;
 then I understood their final destiny.

Psalm 63:2-5 (NIV)
     I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

We don’t need to envy because we already have what is most important in our lives.  

Only when we trust that God wants to give us, knows how and when to give us the desires of our hearts His way, can we continue to live with incompleteness

I am grateful to Tim Keller, from whom some of this sermon came from…