Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure. In vain have I washed my hands in innocence. Psalm 73:13 (NIV)
Maybe you have business colleagues who have very little integrity, and they are doing well. You have tried to do business in a way that honors the Lord, and you are facing all kinds of trouble! It leaves you saying, “What’s the point?!?”
Your coworker, who was fooling around with someone in the office, got promoted. But you were loyal to your wife, and you lost your job. It leaves you saying, “Lord, you blessed the wrong guy!”
This was Asaph’s problem, and he tells us honestly, “My feet had almost slipped. I was nearly gone. I almost gave up.” If a godly man like Asaph could be tempted like that, we shouldn’t be surprised when it happens to us.
Peter tells us that Christian believers have an enemy—Satan, who is like a roaring lion, prowling around looking to see who he can devour. The more useful you are to Christ, the more the enemy will want to devour you. That’s what was happening here. Satan wanted to spoil Asaph’s testimony, end his ministry, and destroy him.
There will be times of special testing in your life, and your future usefulness to Christ will depend in large measure on how you handle yourself when they come. The apostle Paul said, “Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground” (Eph. 6:13). That’s what Asaph did, and God brought him through.
Have you ever felt like giving up your pursuit of a godly life?
