Asaph is pure in heart (v1). That doesn't mean moral perfection - it means undiluted, whole-hearted faith in God. The opposite would be someone who is double-minded or half-hearted - sometimes loving God, but mostly loving the world. Psalm 73 tells the story of how Asaph almost fell into giving up that whole-hearted faith (v2).
The thing that brought him to the edge was seeing the worldly success of people who reject God. They are wealthy (v3), healthy (v4) and care-free (v5). Their success makes them arrogant, aggressive and hateful (v6-8). Their insatiable desire means they boast about wanting and expecting more and more (v9). And everyone admires them for it and reads their books on how to achieve the same success they have (v10). On top of all this, they mock God having supposed they have achieved success on their own (v11).
Asaph read their magazine articles, watched them on reality TV, followed their self-promoting Twitter updates and began to wonder why he bothered with God himself. Why not pack it all in and join them and get what they have (v13-14)?
The key turning point came when he sat in a church service he resented being at. The the preacher was talking about heaven (v17). Then he suddenly realised that although those people have success now, in eternity they will have nothing. All he needed was a broader, eternal perspective.
Right now they are the biggest and best. But in 10,000 years time they will have been like a dream that is vivid when you are having it, but quickly fades from memory when you wake up (v20). In that future day, all their success will have been swept away and their very names will have been totally forgotten.
Asaph has come to his senses. He nows feels awful for his simmering resentful attitude against God (v21-22). He is now so thankful to God for reminding him of the perspective he had forgotten and for the hope of eternal life (v23-24). Why live for stuff that perishes when we already have the most wonderful and enduring treasure of them all - God himself (v25-26)?!
My heart is sad because there are some I know and love who are currently on the edge. They've mostly dropped out of church, not answering calls, not wanting to know God because they found the friends/relationship/career of their dreams. Their head and heart are in the now. But in 10,000 years time and forevermore, where will those things be?
If you see that you are on the edge, get yourself some perspective. Read your Bible. Get yourself to church. Listen to God. He is faithful and will remind you what really matters - that instead of chasing the world which fails, delight in the eternal Lord you already have.
"My flesh and and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (v26)
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