Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart! But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling. – Psalm 73:1-2
Occasionally you find that you just don’t feel like worshipping God. Perhaps the temptation to compare yourself to someone else has caused you to feel down and even depressed. Driving home from work on Friday, you tell yourself you’re glad the week is over because it’s been a rough one. As you lament over how tired you feel, Satan blindsides you with the thought that your friends and coworkers don’t really appreciate you.
By the time you open the front door of your home, your eyes have narrowed and your forehead has tightened. You’re frustrated and ready to give up. Still, you don’t think to pray and ask God for His perspective. You just keep repeatedly thinking through the day and rehearsing your negative feelings.
Saturday morning you get up feeling haunted by the same emotions. By Sunday you force yourself to drive to church, but you certainly don’t feel like singing or praising God.
Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, would understand your plight. He allowed discouragement to grow in his life to the point where he was deeply disturbed.
Whenever we take our eyes off of God and His faithfulness and begin to compare our lives with those around us, we end up feeling either defeated or prideful. God has created each one of us for a unique purpose, which includes worshipping Him.
Psalm 73 is a rambling account of what Asaph was feeling, but by the end, he realizes the truth and puts an end to his negativity. “As for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works” (verse 28).
The closer you are to God, the less likely the enemy will have a shot at your emotions. Stay focused on what God has for you to do.
