Message Notes
Psalm 73:1-12
6/21/2026
I think the question we’ve all wrestled with at one time or another is: “Why
does God allow good things to happen to bad people?”
Psalm 73:1-12: Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are
pure. But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I
was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite
their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so
healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not
plagued with problems like everyone else. They wear pride like a jeweled
necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty. These fat cats have
everything their hearts could ever wish for! They scoff and speak only evil;
in their pride they seek to crush others. They boast against the very
heavens, and their words strut throughout the earth. And so the people are
dismayed and confused, drinking in all their words. “What does God
know?” they ask. “Does the Most High even know what’s happening?” Look
at these wicked people—enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.
It’s hard, but what I think we’re really asking is, “God, why are they getting
everything I want when I’m the one that’s trying to live for you?”
You know there’s an inverse, an opposite question to “Why does God allow
good things to happen to bad people?” It’s, “Why does God allow bad
things to happen to good people?”
In Mark chapter 10 a wealthy man falls down at Jesus’ feet and asks him:
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
And Jesus responds by drawing from a passage in Psalm 14 “Why do you
call me good? No one is good—except God alone.”
The passage he’s paraphrasing is Psalm 14:2-3: The Lord looks down
from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly
wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become
corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!
Asaph calls out our “entitlement mentality”. God, why was I even bothering
trying to live with a pure heart and mind? The entitlement mentality
essentially says, “God, you owe me.”
Let me ask you a difficult question. Which experience gets your attention
more quickly? Good experiences, or bad, painful, hard experiences in life?
What if the distraction you are facing is the same “distracting attack” that
material wealth is to another person? Same enemy, same tactic, different
form of distraction.
The Apostle Paul, who after his conversion ended up writing like half of the
New Testament in the Bible said in Romans 8:28: “And we know that God
causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and
are called according to his purpose for them.”
Asaph says in Psalm 73:24: Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right
hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.
I think there are a couple of applications for what he means by this glorious
destiny.
First, your glorious destiny, my glorious destiny is to walk closely with God.
This is what we mean when we talk about Crossroad’s mission objective to
Follow the ONE.
Next, and this is important. Your glorious destiny is to get over yourself.
Asaph says, “I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.”
Paul carries out this concept of getting over yourself in 2 Corinthians 1:3-
4: “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our
merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our
troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will
be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”