Pastor Tim Wardell
“ When I tried to understand all of this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.” Psalm 73:16-17. Asaph was a composer of both psalms and hymns. In this particular psalm he speaks of a temptation that he fell into which was to believe that faith in God was a vain and useless thing. This temptation came as a result of believing the lie that the wicked prosper, exist trouble free, and that they seem to realize great gain in their lives while the righteous endure the complete opposite. That is until he went to the “Sanctuary of God” and there gained a true understanding of what indeed happens to the wicket. There he discovered the fate of the wicked. He was reminded that sin has consequences. The general theme of this psalm is that the wicked prosper, leaving faithful people wondering what the benefit of doing good is. The wealth of the wicked will eventually fade. The wicked enjoy “temporary” benefits. They build for themselves treasures on earth where rust and dust is collected. We, as followers of Jesus, must be faithful to God’s teachings and commands in all things, even if that obedience causes discomfort or other consequences. When you are tempted to fall into the same temptation as that of Asaph, remember that God is a rewarder to the faithful and that sin does have its consequences.