Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
7 Their eyes swell out through fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and speak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
Comment: Today we are looking at the first third of a psalm ascribed to Asaph. Asaph was a Levite, appointed as the ‘Choir Master’, in the book of Chronicles. So we might well ask if when he says ‘as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped,’ was he talking about himself or was he leading the people in a prayer ‘of humble access’ in the worship of the day. Certainly starting out with an acknowledgement of God’s goodness, he is absolutely correct in acknowledging that he and all of us stumble and fall short of both God’s and even our own standard of righteousness! He goes on to list the jealousy of the wicked and their success! Sometimes wickedness leads into immediate failure but not always so and the confession here is of ‘jealousy of the success and status’ to which sometimes wickedness leads. Is it a problem for me we are caused to ask….. tomorrow continues on in the same vein!
Prayer: Help me to love righteousness and to flee from envy of the temporary success which wickedness can bring.
As I read it! 