Psalm 73:1-5 – “Certainly God is good to Israel, and to those whose motives are pure.  ² But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my feet almost slid out from under me.  ³ For I envied those who are proud, as I observed the prosperity of the wicked.  ⁴ For they suffer no pain; their bodies are strong and well fed.  ⁵ They are immune to the trouble common to men; they do not suffer as other men do.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, my spirit was challenged.   Comparisons are seldom good, but the Holy Spirit seemed to direct me to compare myself and today’s Christian community to those of the Bible.   As I reflected on that comparison, I felt remorse and shame.   I felt woefully deficient.

Psalm 73 is worthy of careful examination and is a catalyst to propel us into a deeper pursuit of God.   The Psalmist was disheartened.   He was looking at what he thought was inequity regarding the godly and the ungodly.

He begins with a truth, then plunges into darkness before coming back to the light. (v 1) – God is good to Israel & all who have pure motives.   Even with that knowledge foundation, he let his interpretation of God’s dealings with people bring him into despair.  Envy crept in as his eyes and mind ruled him. (v 3).

He even began to question God’s integrity (v 11) – “Is the Most High aware of what goes on?”   The devil was at work powerfully in his mind. As a result, he concluded that godliness was a waste of time; after all, look at the way the ungodly live and get away with it. Why try?

Then (v 17) – “I entered the precincts of God’s temple and understood (the light came on) the destiny of the wicked.” (Pay Day Someday).  His enlightenment filled his heart with hope and contentment. He declared in (v 26): “My flesh and my heart may grow weak, but God ALWAYS protects my heart and gives me STABILITY.”    Hallelujah!

There is a danger in becoming ritualistically religious, and through that, self-righteousness reveals itself.   One statement by the Jewish leaders, contending for Jesus to be crucified, screams of the power of religion.   John 19:15 – “We have no king but Caesar.”   They made the government higher than God.   They did this to preserve their religious system.

The Early Church had some characteristics not always seen today.  Who they were defined, what they did, and the results they enjoyed.

• They were filled with the Holy Spirit (The Promise of the Father).

That was the expected norm and the identifier of Salvation.

• They were Covenant-minded. (Acts 1:14).

Many make this a system of Socialism because they think with human reason and fail to grasp the concept of Covenant. This was Covenant in action – what is mine is yours, and yours is mine. I defend you with my life.

• They practiced Discipleship. Acts 2:42 – “They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching (Discipleship and Equipping for the work of ministry), and to fellowship (bonding and being formed), to the breaking of bread (shared meals & communion), and to prayer (corporate and individual).

How does that compare to today?   They did this Daily (Acts 2:46-47), and we find it hard to make 1 or 2 gatherings per week.

• They were all witnesses, but today we have many who insist Faith is a private matter and are silent.

How much value do we place on souls?  How real is hell to us?  How real is Jesus to us?   I suggest we reconsider what Jesus asked Peter just before He went to heaven in John 21. “Do you love Me?”    The question is “How Much?”

How much is revealed by how we live, what we do, and what is chief in our lives.  We insist that there is not enough time, but don’t we find time for what we desire?

If God is my consuming passion and His Kingdom my driving purpose, nothing can stop me from pursuing His purposes.