Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning. (Psalm 73:13-14)
As the psalmist continues to describe how wicked men seem to prosper unabated without any moral boundaries, he expresses the thoughts of those who have striven to do right but have become disillusioned. He voices the sentiment of some who, seeing how the ungodly appear to be at ease, begin to question the very existence of God — “Is there knowledge in the Most High?” If not His existence, their despair provokes them to question whether God, who is Spirit, even involves Himself in the affairs of lowly men at all.
I think it’s fair to say that most of us can identify with what is being expressed here; the wicked live a lawless life with complete peace of mind causing some to think, “Why should I struggle to purify my thoughts and deeds if I’m going to be riddled with trouble as if I were a sinner?” “How is it they can get away with everything and I get away with nothing?” The answer is pretty simple: we are His children and are held to the highest standard.
For most of us, as kids we saw others our age be allowed to do things our parents would would never allow us to do. They could come and go as they please, indulge themselves in behavior that would bring swift judgment upon us. If we raised this seeming contradiction to our parents and pointed out all the things that our friends were allowed to do, it would be met with, “I don’t care what they get to do; you’re my child and this is my house. You will obey me” — or words to that effect.
The fact of the matter is our Father in Heaven, who is holy, expects us to live up to His standards, not the worlds’. Furthermore, because He has plans for us to perform in this life, He subjects us to situations that compel us to die a bit more each day to our own desires, thus positioning us to have a greater impact on this world for His Kingdom. For the record, we know in our heart of hearts that those other kids who were allowed to do whatever they liked were only creating problems for themselves down the road. Likewise the wicked, though at ease presently, will eventually have to answer to God for their lawlessness.
My point is we don’t cleanse our hearts in vain. If we feel as if we are chastened every morning we must remember that the Lord chastens those He loves. As it is written, “Do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him. For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives” (Hebrews 12:5-6).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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