Surviving the Whys--A Sermon Psalm 73

Here is a brief outline of a message I preached last Sunday at Riverside: "Surviving the Whys of Life." The text is Psalm 73.

Sometimes focusing on the unanswerable questions of life, most of which begin with 'Why,' can sink you into a spiritual abyss. How do you survive?

The writer of Psalm 73 envied the wicked. He asked why they prospered and he didn't. He survived the crises of belief and came to understand that God is good to Israel [v. 1]. The principles found in the passage will also enable you to survive the 'Why' questions.

1. Remember the church [v. 15]. You have a responsibility to the church to remain steadfast in the faith. Don't minimize your influence. If you turn your back on God, how many will you take with you?

2. Worship God [vv. 16-17]. Through worship, God keeps you focused on the big picture. There are three truths plainly taught in this section of the Psalm:

• Pain is temporary [vv. 18-19]. The writer of the Psalm became focused on eternity. The wicked will perish. For believers, I believe focusing on eternity will enable you to understand that all pain in this life is temporary [2 Corinthians 4:17].
• Confession is necessary [vv. 21-22]. The "why" questions cause you to fall into Satan trap of questioning God's goodness, justice, grace, love, etc. That is sin. Sin must be confessed. Remember, God is good to those who are pure in heart [v. 1].
• Focus on the blessings [vv. 23-24]. God holds you, guides you, and will receive you into glory. Focusing on the blessings of God instead of questioning God will utimately lead you to victory.

Practice these principles and you begin to ask the right question and get a quick answer [vv. 25-26].

Notice that a crises of belief can often make you stronger on the other side [vv. 27-28].

Note that the Psalmnist, like Job, doesn't find an answer to this question but insights that make the question irrelevant.