Standing Firm When Life Doesn’t Seem Fair Series

The Journey of Life

Standing Firm when Life doesn’t seem fair

Psalm 73

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Life isn’t fair.

I am 100% certain that you have either said that, thought that, or heard that before.

We see injustice on a daily basis.

On the news, we can see innocent people killed in drive by shootings, while the killers go free

In our neighborhoods, we see good people get cancer while those who seem to live hard partying lives, remain healthy

In the movies, we see those who live lifestyles are focused only on looking good and having money, seemingly getting all of that and more and being able to do what they want and vacation when they want, all while they live lives that less than glorify the Lord.

On top of that, it seems that Christians often have a more difficult life.

Walk into any church and you can find prayer lists filled with people

with cancer or other illnesses

who have lost or are in need of a job

who are struggling in marriage relationships

Not only that, but Christians have the struggles of striving to live godly lives in a world that bombards us with temptation while those who do not follow the Lord, seem not to struggle at all with living a life that appears to be against what God would have.

What is up with that?

I thought God, if He is truly Sovereign, would be able to bless the righteous and do justice to the wicked.

So often that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Have you ever thought about that?

Thought about how as we look out at the world, there seems to be so much injustice and life just doesn’t seem to be fair.

Well, you are not alone.

In fact, even some of the biblical writers have had some of these same concerns and expressed them in the pages of Scripture.

So, Today we are going to se how we can be

Standing Firm when Life doesn’t seem Fair

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as we continue our series, “The Journey of Life”

This morning we are going to be reading Psalm 73 (P.414)

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This Psalm was written by Asaph, a

worship leader under King David.

godly man gifted in music to worship the Lord.

writer of 12 Psalms.

For those of you who don’t think we should get real with God about how we are feeling, this psalm will stand in stark contrast to your view.

This psalm is very real and personal for Asaph as he reveals his struggle with the things he is seeing.

Perhaps some of you have been there. I know I have at times. I find it so helpful that I can go to God’s word and find other real people who had similar struggles and how God still cared for them.

So let’s read the first part of this psalm and see if we can relate to some of the things Asaph sees or has experienced and see if we can discover why he and we have these struggles.

Psalm 73

1 A psalm of Asaph.

Surely 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.

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;

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.

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

Let’s stop there a moment.

Asaph starts out his psalm proclaiming an intellectual truth.

Something He knows in his head.

God is good and he is good to those who are pure in heart.

If you are a Christian, you have probably been taught that and believe that.

I have been and I do intellectually believe that to be true.