6. Complaints from the Godly Psalm 73:13-22

Text: “Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.”

Psalm 37:1-2.

Good morning, fretful Christian!  If you and I are completely honest – as all professing the Name of Christ Jesus as Christians should most certainly be – then we shall openly confess to each other in the Body of Christ, that we too often become fretful and "…envious against the workers of iniquity…"  Honesty is the very best policy, beloved in Christ Jesus.  Amen?

“Confess ye your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual prayer of a righteous (made righteous in Christ) man availeth much.  Elias (Elijah) was a man subject to like passions (weaknesses, faults, etc) as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.” (James 5:16-17)

Verse 13. “Verily (truly) I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. Here it is, dear Reader!  Is this not the complaint of your fretful heart and mine at times; times when we get weary of well-doing, when we see the prosperity, the increased riches; the securing of social positions; the outward peace of mind, and freedom from troubles that the unsaved all around us seem to be thoroughly enjoying? 

This is certainly how I personally feel sometimes, and I know you will agree, sometimes you feel this way too, my friend.  We begin to feel just as the Godly Psalmist who wrote the Book of Psalms felt in his day – there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. What the Psalmist experienced, is our experience also, honesty is, indeed, the best policy for us.

It is a very immature Christian who has never questioned his/her faith or practice while going through, perhaps, a prolonged period of sore and severe testing by the Lord, or tormenting by the world, the flesh, and the Devil.  Contending for the faith is tough!

Verse 14.” For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. As sure, or as soon as I rise, I have a whipping, and my breakfast is bread of sorrow and the water of adversity…our lives are full of afflictions; and it is as great a part of a Christian’s skill to know afflictions as to know mercies; to know when God smites, as to know when He girds us; and it is our sin to overlook mercies.”  (Joseph Caryl 1602-1673)

Ever have days like this, Christian friend?  I have, and if I am honest (and I am!), I often complain that I have far too many of them!  Days when one feels like something scraped off the sole of one’s shoe.  Days, when a dark cloud of depression, and hopelessness descends and wraps all around one’s soul, like the immediate discomfort of a wet blanket being draped across one’s shoulders.  In days like those, one can quickly feel that the Lord God has turned His face away from one, and that joy has abandoned the heart completely.

In comes Satan with his hob-nailed boots firmly on his ruthless feet to kick the lights right out of the serving Christian – while the serving Christian’s armour is down, and his/her soul is languishing in what John Bunyan called ‘Doubting Castle’.  (See Pilgrim’s Progress).

Hear what John Trapp (1601-1699) had to say on this subject: 

“The way to Heaven is an afflicted way, a perplexed, persecuted way, crushed close together with crosses, as was the Israelite’s way in the wilderness, or that of Jonathan and his armour-bearer, that had a sharp rock on the one side and a sharp rock on the other.  And, whilst they crept upon all four, flinty stones were under them, briars and thorns on either hand of them; mountains, crags, and promontories over them; so, Heaven is caught by pains, by patience, by violence, affliction being our inseparable companion.  “The Cross way is the highway to Heaven,” said that martyr (Bradford); and another, “If there be any way to Heaven on horseback, it is by the Cross.”  To Hell a man may go without a staff, as we say; the way thereto is easy, steep, strawed with roses; ‘tis but a yielding to Satan, a passing from sin to sin, from evil purposes to evil practices, from practice to custom, etc.”  (John Trapp)

It is only when the Lord reveals the end from the beginning to the godly Psalmist, that he begins to see more clearly the reason for his sore trials, daily testing, and afflictions.  Even thinking that the Lord might have abandoned him, and begun to bless the evil-doers, was a source of deep pain to him – for he knew in his heart that His Lord God would never abandon him, or leave him without necessary comfort in his times of testing.

Verse 16. “When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me.  One of the worst trails for the serving Christian is when Satan fosters the notion into his/her mind that the Lord God has forsaken him/her.  Once we open the great Book of God, our KJV Bibles, we are immediately set right on this vital subject, and God’s comfort flows once more into our beleaguered Christian hearts.

“Let your conversation (entire lifestyle) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”  (Hebrews 13:5-6)

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give unto them Eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck then out of My hand.” (John 10:27-28)

The Lord God reveals unto ‘His people’ the end that must come to all those who reject His Salvation offer in Christ Jesus.  They may well seem to be prospering, enjoying peaceful lives; amassing fortunes in material wealth, at this time.  However, the end that awaits such reprobate souls we would not wish for anyone.

Verse 17: “Then understood I their end.  No envy gnaws now at his heart, but a Holy horror both of their impending doom, and of their present guilt fills his soul. He recoils from being dealt with in the same manner as the proud sinners, whom he just now regarded with admiration.

Verse 18. “Thou castedst them down into destruction. Eternal destruction will be all the more terrible in contrast with the former prosperity of those who are ripening for it…If the wicked had not been raised so high they could not have fallen so low.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

Thought: One thought of where the Christ-rejecters are headed Eternally – turns the Christian’s fretful envying of them to abject pity for the destination of their immortal souls.  Let us pray harder for those yet unsaved, that they might receive God’s grace.