It Can Happen to Anyone – Psalm 73 Part 1

Scripture: Psalm 73 (Click Link)

A psalm of Asaph. 1 Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. 2 But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. (Psalm 73:1-2 NLT)

It can happen to anyone! Asaph was an important leader in the developing field of worship music and song during King David’s reign. He wrote psalms and coordinated worship for the Tabernacle and the annual festivals for the entire nation. Asaph knew the history of God’s dealings with all of mankind, Adam and Noah; the stories of Abraham, of Moses, and of Joshua; all the way through to the present day as King David restored joyous worship to the nation and brought Israel into its Golden Era. Asaph was a VIP, a national figure in Israel. But Asaph had a problem!

Asaph was experiencing a crisis of faith! Even though Asaph knew an important truth about God (he knew many important truths about God, but this is the one he focuses on in this poem/song) his personal experience didn’t match what his beliefs and his doctrines taught him. I’m so thankful that Asaph didn’t try to deny what he was feeling, that he didn’t try to sweep it under the rug, that he didn’t just fake it! Think of the risk he was taking in his honesty. Here’s the guy who is responsible for leading worship every time the nation gathers to worship and he’s losing it! But he was honest about what he was feeling! He said, “I know God is good to goodhearted people, but I’m seeing things that are shaking my faith! I feel like my world is collapsing!”

We don’t know what prompted Asaph’s crisis of faith. Perhaps someone betrayed him, or maybe a jealous singer-songwriter was trying to get his job, or maybe it was simply that he was shocked by all the political maneuvering in the king’s court. We do know that whatever was troubling him, what he was experiencing didn’t match what he believed about God and it was really messing him up! We also know that Asaph wisely chose to address this disconnect between what he believed about God and what he was experiencing and feeling.

A crisis of faith can happen to anyone! Let’s see what Asaph can teach us about handling it well and experiencing a faith renewal!

Prayer:

Father, Thanks for Asaph’s honesty, transparency, and vulnerability. And thanks for the honesty of your word to help us know what to do when our beliefs and our experience don’t match. Show us how to navigate the troubled waters of a crisis of faith! Amen.