My Feet Almost Slipped

June 21

2 Kings 5-6

Psalm 73:21-28

Proverbs 16:12-13

Acts 16:16-40

My Feet Almost Slipped

“Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me up to glory. Who do I have in Heaven but You? And I desire nothing on Earth but You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever. Those far from You will certainly perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, God’s presence is my good. I have made the Lord God my refuge, so I can tell about all You do.” Psalm 73:23-28 HCSB

This Psalm was written by Asaph, who was a musician and singer during David and Solomon’s reigns in Israel. Verse 2 would be an appropriate title for the psalm: “My Feet Almost Slipped.” Asaph explains in the first few verses of the Psalm that he was almost led astray by envy. He looked around him at evil men and they seemed to prosper. They had easy lives, they were not afflicted, and they had plenty to eat. When he examined his own life, he feared that he had purified his heart and lived a good life for nothing. He felt afflicted and punished while the wicked seemed to be blessed. And then he entered God’s sanctuary, God’s presence. This gave him a totally new perspective. God’s presence changed him. He was able to see that God was with him. He held his hand. He guided him with His wise counsel and one day would take him to glory. Asaph recognized that nothing was more valuable than that. He had an eternal perspective and recognized that nothing on Earth was of any value compared to what waited for him in Heaven. He saw that God was his strength and his portion. This phrase appears several times in scripture. David refers to God as his portion in Psalm 16:5 and 142:5. Solomon tells us in Lamentations 3:24, “’The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, therefore, I will hope in Him.” (ESV) God is our source of all that we need. He is our portion in the life we live now and our hope for eternity. Relationships, riches, health, power, and all other things in our lives may fail, but we can say with confidence that “God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Asaph also recognizes that those who do not know God may have all the things this life can offer, but they are destined to destruction and face an eternity apart from God. Instead of slipping, Asaph acknowledges that God’s presence is his good. He has made God his refuge and he will spend his days telling others about God’s faithfulness.

This is a good lesson for us as well. If we look around, the wicked do often seem to prosper and have a much easier life. But the blessings we receive by virtue of God’s presence in our lives surpass any difficulty we may face. His presence alone makes all the difference, but we also have the hope of eternity. This Psalm is a great reminder to us when we feel discouraged to enter God’s presence for a change of perspective.