Slide one
This Psalm may help us this morning, because if you have ever taken your eyes off the Lord and looked at somebody else and then wondered why they seem to be doing so good and you’re not. Then, this is the Psalm for you.
Psalm 73:1-21 describes the psalmist’s struggle with envy and doubt, where he observes the prosperity of the wicked and questions God’s justice. This confusion and despair lead him to nearly lose his faith, but upon entering the sanctuary, he gains a new perspective, understanding that the wicked’s prosperity is temporary and they will ultimately face destruction.
Slide 2
Let’s read the Psalm!
1 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.[a]
5 They are free from common human burdens;
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[b];
their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;
with 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.[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
Does the Most High know anything?”
12 This is what the wicked are like—
always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been afflicted,
and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that,
I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this,
it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!
20 They are like a dream when one awakes;
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
Slide 3
Katie Banks
Here is what the Psalm might sound like today: well, Katie has it all. She has a great job, she makes plenty of money, she can buy all these designer handbags and all these kitchen appliances. She doesn’t care about God. She doesn’t try to do anything for the Lord . Her home is immaculate, she has a housekeeper, a maid, and a chef. She also has a big boat. She has the newest electric car and she doesn’t care about the Lord or the things of God or the community.
Here I am, Lord, working for you, doing my due diligence to help others. I’m your child, why can’t I prosper like that? Nothing stacks up here. It looks like she has it all and I have nothing.
Now, let’s put this in perspective: the psalm talks about following four things: 
- Envy of the Wicked: He confesses to being envious of the wicked, who appear healthy and free from struggles.
- Prosperity of the Ungodly: The wicked seem to have no troubles, their bodies are strong, and they are free from common human burdens.
- Arrogance and Malice: They are characterized by pride and violence, with hearts full of evil imagination and mouths that speak with malice.
- Doubt in God: The wicked even question God’s knowledge and power, saying, “How can God know?” and increasing in riches.
So now we’ve reached verse four. See, they have no pains in their lives and no issues. Everything‘s just hunky-dory for them. The psalmist says that their bodies are flat and sleek meaning they have plenty to eat and plenty of drink.
So what is the result of this kind of an attitude well, we find that in verse six. When their eyes are puffed out, it’s a poetic form of saying they see through their glass houses. They thrive and go around like everything is happy and there are no problems. They see what they want and they grab it. Disguise the limit. 
But what about their hearts? What kind of shape is their heart in?
They draw a crowd. They are popular and they are charismatic. And they are able to manipulate.
They mock God by saying, how do they know or how does he know?
The conclusion of this particular psalmist is questioning why he has kept his heart clean while everybody else is prosperous?
Well, because they will lose their soul in hell. Where they will burn forever. They are getting their reward now. While, we (us who believe) will get our reward later.
The Bible says for us to lay treasures up in heaven.
Slide 4
(Jesus warned us about this when He said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal …” (Matthew 6:19-20).)
This is true! My household is learning about theft this week. We have had guns, jewelry, and other things stolen. But I don’t blame God! The Bible says thou shall not steal. It’s an attack of Satan and sin. 
Now in verse 15 the psalmist is coming back to being the narrator again. He says now he will speak against us or against this generation.
16 Then, the psalmist I’ve became weary about the whole situation, in other words, the saw said I just couldn’t figure God out.
17 but until the sanctuary of the most high. (this is when we come into the presence of the Lord)
Then it psalmist discerned the end of these people. And we said it just a minute ago they have lost their souls and are committed to hell.
The Scriptures report that God can and will sift those individuals, those families, those communities, and those countries who do not acknowledge him and except Jesus Christ is their savior.
The words when God rose himself means when God comes forth and judgment.
21 he was like a beast towards the Lord, because he was angry and felt slighted.
But remember we, and this Psalmist says we are natural man. We think and feel with our emotions.
For the natural man, there is nowhere to turn to. They are great one minute, but the next they are swept away. They may go to a counselor, a financial wizard, seek advice on the Internet, or join a support group, but is that really an alternative to God? Nothing!
There is a song that says I will take nothing for my journey now. Let me remind you of the lyrics.
Here are the lyrics:
Slide 5
Well I wouldn’t take nothing for my journey now Gotta make it to Heaven somehow Though the devil tempts me and he tries to turn me around He’s offered everything that’s got a name All the wealth I want and worldly fame But if I could still, I wouldn’t take nothing for my journey now.
There’s nothing in this world that’ll ever take the place of God’s love Silver and gold could never buy His mighty touch from above When my soul needs healing, then I begin to feel His power And I can say “Thank the Lord, I wouldn’t take nothing for my journey now”.
There’s even better news. Jesus provides you with more than salvation.
Slide 6
In John 10:10, he reveals this: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Not just forgiveness of your sins. Not just salvation and an ongoing relationship with a loving God. Not just eternal life in heaven after you die. Abundant life. Right now.
Here are four ways that Jesus gives us abundant life:
Slide 7
1. Jesus gives us hope in abundance.
His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. – Psalm 147:10-11
2. Jesus fights for us abundantly.
Slide 8
“… for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.” – Deuteronomy 20:4
Unless you are serving in the military, you probably will not be going to war anytime soon, right? Wrong. You already are at war. You’re fighting a battle against your enemies every day. And just as God was with the Israelites, God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies.
Slide 9
In chapter 10 of the Book of Daniel, Daniel has a troubling vision. It’s so troubling that Daniel prays to God for understanding and begins to mourn, refusing to anoint himself, eat meat or other choice food, or drink wine. Three weeks later, an angel finally appears and explains the vision.
What took so long? The angel explains that God dispatched him as soon as Daniel prayed, but the angel was ambushed by a “prince of the kingdom of Persia” (v. 13). That prince, or demon, was so strong and the battle was so fierce that after three weeks the angel and the demon were still deadlocked. The archangel Michael had to join the fray and battle the demon so that the angel could go and meet with Daniel.
When we pray, Jesus hears us, and God responds, often immediately. But our requests are coming from the frontlines of a fierce war that has been raging since the dawn of time, and our enemies are doing everything they can to prevent God’s response from getting through.
God and his angel armies are with us and fighting for us against our enemies.
3. Jesus stores up goodness for us in abundance.
Slide 10
Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! – Psalm 31:19
When describing God’s goodness in Psalm 31, David uses an interesting phrase. He says that God stores up goodness for those who fear him. Why does God store up goodness for us?
Storing up something is a good practice when that item is not always readily available. When Joseph recognized that seven years of plenty in Egypt would be followed by seven years of famine, he recommended that Egypt store up one-fifth of the food produced during the years of plenty as a reserve for the seven years of famine. Because Pharaoh heeded Joseph’s advice, there was food for everyone in Egypt and surrounding lands, including Joseph’s family, during the horrible famine.
There is never a famine for God’s goodness, though. God has abundant goodness all the time, enough for everyone. So why does God store it up for those who fear him?
God does this for our own good. If we were showered with blessings all the time, then we probably wouldn’t recognize the goodness of God, and we might even feel entitled to all those blessings and more. So God does something similar to what Pharaoh did.
Rather than overloading us with blessings during times of plenty, God sets some aside for us. Then during times of famine, when we go to God and ask him for help, he responds by giving us blessings from our storehouse.
God’s goodness is abundant. He makes sure that we have all we need, when we need it…and when we ask. Remember, Jesus tells us in John 10:10that God sent him: “…that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
4. Jesus lifts us up during the worst times of our lives.
Slide 11
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. – Psalm 55:22 (NIV)
Let me tell you the story of a famous song writer who learned to cast his cares upon God.
Things were going well for the Spafford family. Horatio, a prosperous Chicago lawyer, was making shrewd investments in properties along Lake Michigan. He and his wife, Anna, were blessed with four daughters and a son, and living comfortably in the Lakeview neighborhood on the city’s north side.
Then a series of tragedies struck. First, the Spaffords’ four-year-old son died of scarlet fever. A short time later, the great Chicago fire of 1871 caused extensive damage to the properties that the Spaffords owned. The economic downturn of 1873 dealt a further blow to Horatio’s business interests.
Slide 12
Slide 13
In late 1873, needing a break, the family decided to travel to Europe. Needing to stay in Chicago to resolve some fire-related zoning problems, Horatio sent Anna and the girls ahead on the S.S. Ville du Havre. On November 22, the ship was struck by an English vessel in the Atlantic and sank quickly.
Anna, who stayed afloat by clinging to debris, was one of only 47 people who survived. Her four daughters drowned. When she reached Cardiff, Wales, Anna sent her husband a telegram: “Saved alone.”
The grieving father hastily traveled to meet his grieving wife. As his ship passed the area where his daughters had died, Horatio, a devout Christian, wrote the hymn “It Is Well”. The first verse says, “…when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, ‘It is well, it is well with my soul.’ ”
How was Horatio Spafford able to deal with tragedies of this magnitude? He cast his cares, as overwhelming as they were, on Jesus, and the Lord sustained him.
