The Danger of Envying the Ungodly
A great danger for believers is when we look with envy at the success and wealth of the ungodly. When we are dissatisfied with divine providence, it is an issue of our hearts. In Psalm 73, Asaph writes about his struggle of envying the ungodly.
The psalmist begins by stating a foundational truth: God is Good to His people (73:1). In spite of knowing this truth, the psalmist’s faith was challenged with doubt (73:2). He looked around and saw the prosperity of the ungodly and was envious of them (73:3). He saw that they were fat and happy and content (73:4-5). They were boastful of their riches and influence; and there was no end to their schemes (73:6-7). They spoke without restraint, mocking others and even heavenly things (73:8-9). They were not lacking in companions to indulge with them (73:10). In their insolence toward God they misinterpreted the patience of God for permissiveness (73:11). The psalmist summed up these people by saying that they seemed to be always at ease, always prosperous (73:12). The psalmist looked at his own life of obedience to God in comparison to the ungodly and thought that all his right living must surely be in vain (73:13-14).
Brethren, desiring what we do not have is basically doubting the goodness of God. How can we deal with dissatisfaction? The psalmist gives us the answer at the beginning and end of his psalm... God is good (73:1,28). Even in the midst of envy and doubt he clings to God, declaring that his greatest good is God Himself. Brethren, when you are tempted to focus in on the things that you do not have, remember that you already have the greatest good of all, God Himself!