Reflections 1/25/2020: Every so often I need a road trip down Psalm 73 highway. It is an eavesdropping on Asaph’s very vulnerable doubts about God’s goodness and fairness. His God-seeking life seems barren and fruitless while he watches people who thumb their noses at God get all the good stuff! (Who hasn’t had those thoughts?!) He honestly admits his envy, jealousy, and even more importantly, his bitterness as to where God is as this injustice reigns supreme. Spoiler alert… surprise ending! Justice eventually prevails! “Evil reaps its own reward.” And Asaph reconciles himself to God’s larger plan as he foresees fairness finally call the shots. The final curtain closes on these simple words. “The nearness of God is my good!” What I am discovering is that I can actually feel this joy of God’s nearness WHILE the inequities of life are still raging around me. Don’t have to wait for “equalizing” to happen. Part of that is due to realizing the “good stuff” that the God-ignoring people are accumulating doesn’t really fill life’s deepest needs. (Knocks the wind out of envy when that hits home!) AND truly feeling God’s nearness truly does! Part of enjoying that “nearness” is the freedom to bring these ugly emotions into Your Presence God. We both know they exist at times, so the release of being able to soliloquize them to You is enormous! Thank You for including this Psalm in Your Word so we can travel that questioning highway along with Asaph! And arrive at the same destination! “The nearness of God is my good!”