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Where Are You Looking?


October 13, 2010

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you. — Psalm 73:25

"That's not fair!" What parent hasn't heard that phrase — or some variation of it — uttered by a child who wasn't picked for the team or who didn't get the last cookie? Actually, if we're totally truthful, we all have said that at one time or another. We long for justice, and we cry foul when we see someone who has cheated and lied succeed at our expense.

The psalm writers, too, struggled with this same issue. Why do evil people prosper? Why do they seemingly succeed? Why does life appear so unfair at times? The answer for Jews and Christians alike depends on where we're looking.

We see this plainly in Psalm 73. At first, the psalmist is perplexed at what he sees: the arrogant and wicked had no struggles; they were healthy, prosperous, and free from the burdens most people carry. Based on what he saw, the psalm writer wondered why he bothered keeping his heart pure and trying to do the right thing in God's eyes. He wrote, "When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me" (v. 16). Does that sound familiar?

Then the psalm writer entered God's sanctuary. While spending time in worship and focusing on God and His word, the psalm writer finally realized that God, indeed, does see all and know all. God knew all about the wicked and would deal with them accordingly. "Surely," the psalmist wrote, "you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin" (v. 18).

In the end, what sustained the psalmist from despairing over the wicked and life's unfairness was focusing on God. In doing so, he discovered that his knowledge of God was all he really needed. Indeed, he wrote, "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you." With that knowledge, the psalmist was able to confidently conclude, "God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (v. 26).

When we are confronted with life's injustices — whether big or small — we need to remember, like the psalm writer, that our God in Heaven is totally in control and will bring about His justice in His time. We have all we need in Him — the One who is our strength and our portion.

Where are you looking?



With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein