By Pastor J.W.T. Spies
Psalm 73:2-5
2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
Intro: Asaph the psalmist on this occasion has giving time to observe what was going on around him, he had taken the time to observe the wicked and the righteous. He took inventory of what the unrighteous, was doing and what the righteous was doing.
When we read the text, we see that Asaph has devoted time too also observe the Godly and the ungodly, Asaph has seen a great difference in how the righteous faired, opposed to how the unrighteous is fairing. He noticed how the righteous were constantly struggling, while the wicked seem to be always prosper.
So, this episode disturbs and distress Asaph until it almost got the best of him.
My brothers and sisters this troubled the psalmist to see the wicked prosper and flourish while the righteous continual to be in poverty and in their struggles.
And I think I ought to tell you that Asaph had some serious problems, even with God.
To sum it all up, for those of you who are following all of the rules, and to those of you who are staying prayed up. It seems as though you are fasting and following all of the guidelines of the Word of God. And when you see what the wicked is doing, and you’re not doing, it makes you want to say to yourself it just ain’t fair. We may ask the question, how is it that it seems as though the wicked, the unrighteous, the •evil. sinful. immoral. unlawful. vicious. vile. and those that are of the darkness seem to have it going on, and I’m barely making it. It just ain’t fair.
And that’s what I want to use as a subject this morning it just ain’t fair, and the reason that I want to embark upon this subject is because there is somebody that is sitting right here in the sanctuary are struggling with some of the same symptoms as Asaph.
And the reason that you feel this way is because you have endeavored to cross all of the T’s, you have made sure that you have dotted all of the I’s, but it seems as though still you see nothing but struggle while the ungodly continual to prosper. And it makes you want to scream, it just ain’t fair.
It just ain’t fair, that I’m praying, and others are not, and my children are still acting up. And their children are getting get out of jail free cards. It ain’t fair that I devote my time to fasting and supplication, and I can’t seem to get ahead, and those that are living a life of hatred and jealousy seems to be getting everything that there heart desires. I wish that I can get somebody to say, it ain’t fair.
Now let me hurry and say that I know that our subject is not grammatically correct, but I believe that saying it this way, it captures the sentiments of what we are trying to express.
Because I know that I could have said, it just isn’t fair, but that doesn’t seem to have the gravity that we’re looking for. So, if you don’t mind, just indulged me for a second and say it just ain’t fair.
Praise Tabernacle, the record informs us this morning of a serious issue, and some serious concerns on the behalf of Asaph. Time will not allow me to express all of the concerns that are here but, permit me to say that the psalmist was gripped by some concerns that are very similar to the concerns of many of us.
You see, Asaph had decided to live for God, he had committed himself to walk, and to talk in a Godly fashion, he had endeavored to live his life that would be pleasing to the almighty God.
But his plight as is the plight of many believers, was one of stress and strange, and one of a tremendous struggle, and his problem was made even greater when he would look at the unrighteous having no struggle or problems at all.
This took such of toll on the man of God, the pressure was so great that it is stated here in the words that he said, that his feet almost slipped.
In other words, he all most backslid into the ways of the world. And this may seem like it nothing, but when some of us have had our backs up against the wall, and the bills are pressing you on every hand, the light bill, the gas bill, the rent, food, water, gas, soap, tissue it will make you sometime think, if I could just slip back just long enough to get myself caught up. If I could just make one more block, just to get back up on my feet. If I can just see bobby one more time, because I just need a little help, if I could just boost one more item from the store, sell one package, I know I’ll be alright.
[STOP] Because whenever we see the dope man with thousands of dollars in his pocket, and riding on 28’s, and I’m riding in a bucket that’s about to fall to pieces at the next Jackson city pothole. [Let me talk to some real people at], It will make you scream it ain’t fair.
When your baby is sitting in the house screaming and hollowing because they don’t have any milk, or because they are ringing wet from the pamper that they have had on all day long because you don’t have the money to buy them anymore. And you look out of the window and the prostitute are jumping in and out of cars counting their money and you don’t have a dime to your name, and you don’t have anybody that you can even borrow it from, because you haven’t been able to pay the last money back because you didn’t really don’t have anything, because you are trying to make ends meet. It will make you scream that it just ain’t fair.
And may I tell you that the pressures of life will make you consider somethings, because pressure is something else, [you all do know that pressure is a monster, yeah pressure will makes water run stream, pressure will burst pipes, pressure brings about strokes, pressure gives people heart attacks. pressure].
And I think that I must tell you this morning that I have been in this same predicament that Asaph was in. My feet also most slip, and I must admit something publicly that I have never admitted this openly before, but I have privately said that it just ain’t fair.
It just isn’t fair that I’m trying my best to do what’s right and those you don’t care about God, those who are not even thinking about God, and even those who don’t even serve God get to have any and everything that they desire. Yes, I know how Asaph felt. I can feel you Asaph. Asaph I understand that the struggle is real.
But I think I know what happen here, I really believe I know what mess up Asaph here. Are you interested? I believe what happen here is that Asaph spent too much time, he devoted to much time, yes, he took out too much of his precious time focusing on the wicked. Asaph, spent to much time associating the negative energy where there should have been positive energy.
And I believe that we have that same problem today, we spend more time focusing on the hell raisers, rather then those who are hurting, we spend too much time focusing on mess starters, then we do for those who are really having some spiritual trouble, we spend to much time chasing down gossip trying to straightening them out, rather then spending time in the gospel of Jesus and trying to straightening our selves out.
Yes, He devoted to much time observing and watching what the ungodly was accomplishing.
And you know what yall, whenever we watch the wrong thing to long, it will mess you up. [Pause]
If I could’ve gotten to Asaph, I would have said Asaph, you need to stop focusing on the wicked, and start focusing on the Lord. You need to lift your eyes to the hills whence cometh your help. Because when you focus on the Lord, he will keep you, he will keep you happy, he will give you joy, an unspeakable joy, he will give you perfect peace all whose mind is stayed on him. PAUSE
Now I don’t want you all to get this wrong Asaph was a man of God. Asaph loved the Lord, but how many of you know that you can be a child of God and still be focusing on the wrong things. Pause
He speaks out and said the wicked don’t suffer like the righteous, so then I asked God for my own personal understanding, I asked God why is it that it seem as though they are being bless, and we are not, and the first thing that he said to me is that the grass might look like it is greener on the other side of the fence, but some of that stuff that you see is artificial turf, and not only that but I can guarantee you that the water bill is higher. In other words, I can guarantee that they will pay for what they think is righteous.
The second thing that he said is that everybody ain’t ready for a blessing, everybody can’t handle a blessing right now.
The third thing that he said to me which had the most impact, is that you haven’t seen, or you can’t see the end result of those who are prospering in an ungodly fashion. Those who think that they have gotten away, they haven’t gotten away at all. Because the old adage says that might get by, but surely, they won’t get away.
He said that my feet also most slipped. And if most of us were to be honest with ourselves, some of us are some almost slipper, we got some almost slippers in the pulpit, we got some almost slippers in the choirs stands, we got some almost slippers on the deacon ministry and if we go on and tell the whole truth some of us has went beyond almost slipping, and just stepped on into it. Yes, there have been times when we all have slipped.
But you know what I’m glad about? And that is even if you have almost slipped or if you have slipped all of the way, God won’t throw us away. Somebody here can testify that they have almost slipped or have slipped all the way in, but God have kept you anyhow. Pause
Don’t let me keep you to long we hear that the psalmist said something here, he said I’ve had the wrong concept, and I have had the wrong frame of mind, he said but that all changed when I went to church, he said all of that change when I went into the sanctuary, he said that it all change when I went into the house of the Lord.
Because here in the sanctuary, here in the Tabernacle, is where God worked on me. Asaph said while I was at church my outlook changed, while I was in church my whole frame of mind changed, and somebody here in this sanctuary can testify too, that there have been times when you came in one way, and while you was at church God started working on you, and you didn’t leave the way you came.
There have been times when you have came into the church frustrated over your situation, and God gave the preacher the right sermon just for you, or while you were sitting in your seat God may have given the choir the right song to sing to speak to your situation
Somebody say it’s in the church.
CLOSE
Now somebody may say what does the sanctuary have to do with all of this, well I’m glad that you asked. Because the psalmist said I found the answers that I needed while I was in the church that. And the answer to the million-dollar question is. The prosperity of the wicked is only temporarily and it won’t last. The evilness of the wicked will one day has to stand before Jesus.
But what I love about the joy that Jesus gave me is that I can say, that this joy that I have, the world didn’t give it to me and the world can’t take it away.
So, saints don’t think that it robbery when the enemy seem like they are prospering, because it only for a short while. But if you are in Jesus, it will last forever.
I remember on time my family and I went to the carnival and they was all riding the rides and they said to me come on and let’s ride this ride. Now the ride looked good from the outside, but I heard people screaming and shouting on the inside. I thought they was laughing and joking and having a good time.
So, I got on the ride, and the ride started spinning around and around, I could see goat heads and I could see demons inside that ride. And I could feel them draining my spirit so I beckon to the conductor please stop the ride. The first time he just laughed at me, but the second time around he knew that something was wrong, so he stopped the right and they had to carry me off, and I heard somebody say that looks like Pastor Spies.
Then the conductor came to me and said Rev. why did you get on the ride, and I said to him, from out here it looked like a ride that I could handle.
And that’s what I want to close with. Things might look good from where you are standing, situations might seem better for other right now, but when it’s all over, and when he read our title clear for mansion in the sky, it’s then we will see that the wicked cease from troubling and the weary shall be at rest, all of God saints and the angel will sit at his feet and be bless.
So, what are you saying Pastor? I’m saying that one of these old days, we will see God for who he is, and we will be able to say:
You are a great God and your character is Holy
Your truth is absolute
Your strength is unending
Your discipline is fair, you are a great God
The mountain of your knowledge has no peak
The ocean of your love has no shore
The fabric of your fidelity has no tear
The rock of your word, has no crack
Your patient surprises us
Your beauty stuns us
Your love stirs us
Your provision is enough for our needs
Your light is good enough for our paths
And your grace is sufficient for our sins, for Lord you are the potter, and we are the clay.
