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Is it really worth it?

We live in a topsy-turvey world where the wicked and evil folk seem to get on and where the righteous don't. And our Psalmist was wondering whether all the effort that was needed to live in a righteous way was worth it.

This is the matter that the Psalmist lays before us for our consideration in this Psalm.

This was no academic exercise for him as he had been severely tried and tested over the question – he can speak to us with the voice of experience.

Asaph was indeed a godly man but that did not shield him from these particular trials – looking at the way the wicked seemed to be getting on so well in life – everything they turned their hand to seemed to work out so well that Asaph was beginning o envy them their ease and their prosperity. The temptation was a real trial to him quite simply because he was a godly man – if that had not been the case he would have given way without a struggle. He struggles because of his spiritual nature.

Before we look more closely at the Psalm we need to take this on board:

1)       We must not equate temptation with sin. If we do we may well convince ourselves that temptation when it comes is sure-fire proof of poor spiritual health. In fact it can be just the reverse.

The theme of the Psalm is the apparent prosperity of the wicked contrasted with their true situation.

vv.1-12 The problem is stated

a)       vv.1-3  the psalmist describes his own plight – knowing truth he has found himself calling it into question and so now finds himself in a precarious position – he has nearly slipped

b)       vv.4-12  deal with the prosperity of the wicked

vv.13-17 The turning point is reached and the psalmist's viewpoint changes: a question of perception.

vv.18-28 The solution is stated

a)       vv.18-22 now it is the plight of the wicked that is described – it is they who in reality are in a slippery place.

b)       vv.23-28 the blessings of the righteous man are detailed.

The psalm began v.1 with an objective truth – a doctrine is affirmed. And the psalm ends with this objective truth being personally embraced by the psalmist in personal experience.

The Psalm begins with a straightforward declaration:

"Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart."

Here is such a simple statement, the bread and butter of spiritual living. Reading that line causes few if any of us here this evening to hesitate. It's the kind of thing we're all so used to hearing in a church context isn't it? Asaph like the other members of his nation would have grown up with this truth ringing in his ears since earliest childhood.

And yet…

Something terrible had started to happen to Asaph – he found that he was no longer really believing it any more. As he looked around him he saw that life didn't appear to be so straightforward. There were folk – and not a few of them – who lived in total disregard of God's commandments. They didn't care tuppence for Him and His ways and, do you know what, their life was one long success story. Talk about health, wealth and prosperity – they had it and in abundance.

And as Asaph looked on and observed their good health, their freedom from suffering and their balance sheets he found that he was becoming envious of them. Their whole lifestyle was beginning to look very attractive to him:

a)       they strutted arrogantly about proud of their self-made status

b)       they trod on others as they got what they wanted

c)       and all this with apparent impunity

d)       not only this but poor old Asaph had noticed that others had begun to applaud them and even to follow their example

e)       their views were listened to – a rich man's opinions often are – and they didn't hesitate to proclaim that what they were doing was fine: God didn't see them or if He did He was OK about it because He never intervened.

And Asaph is being pulled and tempted – the route downwards begins with an easy first step – for Asaph that step was envy and it put him on a slippery slope.

Now let's pause and ask ourselves some questions. Are there doctrinal affirmations that we know in our head and yet which we've come to doubt? Maybe the health, wealth and prosperity gospel has something in it after all you find yourself thinking? Or maybe in some other area you feel as though you're in danger of losing your footing – professing one thing with the lip and living the opposite with your life?

Let's learn from the psalmist.

1)       He faces up to what is happening and marshals his thinking. He doesn't pretend that he is not been tempted and he recognises the force of the temptation and the effect it's having upon him.

2)       He doesn't act hastily once he's become aware of just what is happening to him.

3)       He doesn't broadcast aloud his thoughts to all and sundry.

4)       He takes care to add in more factors to the equation:

"If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children." He

says in v.15.

But what does he mean?

i)                      Well he's known godly people in his life who have live in harmony with God's precepts and he has a high regard for them. Were he to give air to his thoughts it would be tantamount to saying these folk had got it all wrong and looking at their lives he just can't do it – the evidence is otherwise.

ii)                    To voice his doubts and troubles to openly would be a hindrance to others of the covenant community and he has no desire to do that – he realises that he is not an island but a man in relationship with others – what he does has an impact for good or for ill on others. And so he hesitates to speak out.

5)       He doesn't cut himself off from the covenant community/church but continues to frequent the sanctuary. In the worshipping, word directed community of God's people the psalmist receives a clearer understanding of just what it is that has been troubling him. It's in the sanctuary that his problems are resolved. It's there that he comes to see clearly that he had only been taking a limited number of factors into consideration – as he was tempted to envy the wicked thoughts of God and the blessings of knowing Him had not figured in his analysis. Now he realizes just how foolish he had been.

6)       Ready to admit he'd been wrong. This is a point at which many of us struggle I fear – pride prevents us holding up our hands and admitting that we had been out of line and wrong. But the psalmist has no such hesitation- just see how he describes his former behaviour and pattern of thinking in vv.21-21 "When my soul was embittered,when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you."

With a focus back on God the psalmist realizes that it is not him on a slippery slope any longer it is the wicked! In their willful ignorance and practical rejection of God and His ways the wicked are in fact a mere step away from utter ruin.

By contrast the blessings of the righteous man are multiple:

             v.23 continually present with the LORD

             v.23 upheld by the LORD

             v.24 guided by the LORD

             v.24 brought to glory by the LORD

Now that the psalmist realizes this, the riches of the wicked pale into insignificance as he contemplates the value of knowing such a wonderful LORD! Look at how he now bursts forth in praise in vv.25-26

Whom have I in heaven but you?

                           And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

             My flesh and my heart may fail,

                           but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

To put this in Christian terms all we need to do is to turn to Phil.3:8-11 where Paul writes:

"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith – that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."

Jesus was certainly made to face this type of temptation and one more than one occasion – never once though did His foot slip but He maintained His focus upon God and upon God's ways.

In the temptations Satan made the suggestion that He should use His power to make life easy for Himself – after all faithfully following the Spirit of God into the wilderness had only led to great hunger after 40 days – it would be so easy to serve His own ends now wouldn't it, no bother to Him to change a few stones into bread?

Again, the dazzling offer of power and influence – God's way was through suffering but now Satan suggests an easy alternative. But Jesus doesn't succumb and fall at Satan's feet.

He appears to be alone and with no resources but as He goes God's way angels minister to Him.

Later in Gethsemane – the Cross is now loaming very large on the horizon and what a struggle He has in the garden – the same temptations come to do things His way, to place what looks like His own personal interests to the fore and to avoid "needless" suffering. And the trial continues with Jesus is real earnest until He triumphs victoriously with the repetition of "not my will but yours be done".

And finally on the Cross as He hung voluntarily as the sin offering for His people men passed by wagging their heads and mocking Him – their injustice went by with impunity as He died – and even as they challenged Him to come down from His cross and save Himself our Lord resisted the temptation. He didn't call upon the legions of angels standing ready to help but He chose God's way.

Hallelujah what a Saviour!

Amen.