Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’ (Matthew 22:37). Have you ever wondered why it seems like the wicked win? Or that other Christians live carelessly, and nothing seems to happen? I know personally that when I put my eyes on others, I get a bad attitude, and a heart struggle begins, and I lose my way. I forget that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, not only for eternal salvation but for the whole journey of life (John 14:6).

The pursuit of every Christian should be growth and maturity. (Hebrews 6:1, 1 Peter 2:2). Is God ok when we question the injustices we observe? I believe that when we question what we observe, it can become a place of growth if we turn to God in the struggle. Then maturity develops. If we look within, we will come up empty and waste a lot of time.

In Psalm 73, we find Asaph, a worship leader in the Tabernacle, with a personal heart struggle. King David had appointed him to the role, and I’m sure he served the Lord well. But in Psalm 73, he’s captivated by the wicked and those who join with them, likely fellow believers of the One True God. Let’s look and learn how Asaph overcame his struggle.

At the beginning, Asaph declares that God is good to the pure in heart. But he acknowledges that he almost quit believing that. Verse 2 says, “my feet had almost slipped.” And he reveals his jealous heart toward the wicked because they are prideful, and life seems good for them. They scoff at God, and whatever they want is theirs!

Who among us has not experienced similar feelings?

Even God’s people were giving up looking to Him and joining the wicked. Asaph’s discouragement was so bad that in verse 13, he wonders, “So why have I kept my heart pure? Why have I kept my hands from doing wrong?”

Have you ever wondered this, too? Like Asaph you wonder what’s the point? When you ask that, generally, you’re at a fork in the road. You are presented two choices. Turn to God with your grievances and enter a growth place with Him, or make a bad choice and walk away. How far and how long you walk is your choice. The shorter the better. But walking away from the One who loves you more than any human ever could is definitely the wrong choice. The shortest journey is when you talk to the Lord about it. You won’t travel at all then, and His grace will cover you in the struggle.

Thankfully, verse 18 shows us that Asaph turns back to God because he visits the Tabernacle. I can only imagine what relief he felt when he entered that Dwelling Place. It must have been like going home again, coming inside from a sand storm, or getting shelter from the dark world beyond. There, he gained perspective. He understood that the wicked and those who went astray were in danger of destruction. He could never have understood this truth if he had not returned to God. We don’t think correctly about God without turning to God.

Next, he takes responsibility for his behavior. He acknowledges how unpleasant he’s been to the Lord and the grace of God that held him through his struggle. In the International Children’s Bible, Asaph says, “You have held my hand.” He gives the Lord praise and decides to take action against his sins of envy and bitterness toward people who seem to get away with so much.

Then he speaks the truth about the coming judgement of God and that all those people (he has been distracted by) will disappear! He realizes he has spent way too much time worrying about others and their account before God. It has made him sad, angry, and ungrateful toward the God he loves.

Asaph returns to God, realizes his reward is coming later, and decides once again to follow God with his whole heart. He even declares for future days, as old age comes or a time of physical or mental crisis, that God will be his strength. I think it is wise to decide now that no matter what the future holds, you will remain devoted to the Lord God!

Are you in a heart struggle now? I hope it is short-lived. There’s no condemnation for the struggle, just invite the Lord on your journey. You do not want to leave Him behind. Here are a few tips from a fellow struggler to help you in your heart struggle.

HOW TO RESTORE A RIGHT VIEW OF GOD IN YOUR HEART:

Return to church – If you’ve stopped going to church, go back. If you’re going, start praying for everyone there to remain faithful to the Lord. And pray for those who may not be saved. Church is messy, but it is biblical (Acts). God means for every Christian to participate in a Bible-believing, Christ-centered church.

Renew your commitment to the Lord – Be faithful to daily worship and be honest in your prayer life. Confess and repent and ask God to restore the joy of His salvation in your life, and give you a willing heart (Psalm 51).

Remember how you used to be – We are all guilty of looking at others, and bringing them up to the Lord. If you became a Christian as an adult, remember your redemption story. If you had a childhood conversion, think about a season when you weren’t walking with Him. Embrace the truth of verse 26 and say, “He is Mine forever.”

Restart your biblical practices – If you’ve had your eye on others for any amount of time, you’ve probably lost the discipline to follow Jesus daily. The biblical practices remind you of God’s goodness and the joy of His presence.

Rest in His Will – Once your right view of God is restored, He has work for you to do. The struggle will cease, and you will find rest in obedience.

So much practical advice is in Psalm 73, but we aren’t finished. Up to the very end in verse 28, we learn more from Asaph. He correctly concludes that God is the one who provides him with protection. And Asaph has a plan! He is going to tell what God has done for him (probably in songs and spiritual songs).

How about you? Do you wonder where all the faithful are? Or are you feeling discouraged because friends or family are not listening to you, and have no fear of God? All this will continue until Jesus returns. Asaph had a plan. What is your plan? Will you begin one of the tips to restore a right view of God? Will you work through your struggle with God and learn from Him (Matthew 11:29)? Remember, you have an example in Asaph to help restore or keep a right view of God in your heart.

©Valerie Rumfelt

Scripture translations:NIV and International Children’s Bible(ICB)