Watch Out for Slippery Slopes!

"Surely Thou dost set them in slippery places; Thou dost cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!" (Psalm 73:18-19)

I know something firsthand about "slippery places," beloved! Just this past week I was not watching what I was doing and my foot slipped from a slippery step and put me on my face before I was aware of what was happening. Slippery places are definitely dangerous!

David was going through a really tough time in his life, a "crisis of faith," let's call it. So critical was his spiritual situation, in fact, that he openly confessed:

"But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling; my steps had almost slipped" (v.2)

I love the way that Charles Spurgeon described that which was going on in the king's life during this time:

"The Psalmist could make no progress in the good road. His feet ran away from under him like those of a man on a sheet of ice. He was weakened for all practical action, and in great danger of actual sin, and so of a disgraceful fall" (Great Verses from the Psalms, p.131)

And what was it that was causing David so much spiritual consternation? What had his water boiling? Let's allow him to tell us in his own words:

"For I was envious of the arrogant, as I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death; and their body is fat" (vv.3-4)

David had allowed his vision to become focused upon the momentary and fleeting wealth and prosperity of the godless. And that misplaced focus caused him to question his faith and to question God's wisdom. He even questioned whether or not he had wasted his own efforts in living a godly life (vv.13-14)! It was not until he allowed his spiritual gaze to be refocused upon God's plan and purpose that he regained a truly biblical worldview:

"When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight until I came into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end" (vv.16-17)

We will always in this world have the "arrogant" and the "wicked" and those whose "pride is their necklace," beloved. We will continue to live about the "violent" and the "mockers." That is precisely why as Christians we need so desperately to keep a biblical worldview, to "come into the sanctuary of God" with David and to meditate daily and fervently upon the truths of God. That is when this world of sinful sickness will make sense. The ungodly may be having their moment now, but know this, beloved. God has set their feet on slippery slopes! Sooner or later apart from His grace and mercy they will fall and fall hard.

So what can we do now? Let's return to David's closing words in this psalm for they are classic:

"But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Thy works" (v.28)

Basically David has revealed to us that there are two things that we need to do today. First, we need to seek refuge in our relationship with God - to embrace His perspective, His timetable, and His "big picture." Secondly, we need to tell a lost world about this glorious God - to speak of His love in Jesus Christ, of His mercy and grace. As we embrace unconditionally and walk within steadfastly God's plan and purpose, we will no longer gaze upon the temporary fatness of the ungodly and wonder why life is so unfair. We will keep our feet off of "slippery slopes"!

Ron