Voice: Shivdas
Today is Tuesday, 26th of August. Let us gather our scattered thoughts and be still in His presence.
We pray this collect:
O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night
and turns the shadow of death into the morning:
Drive far from us all wrong desires,
incline our hearts to keep your law,
and guide our feet into the way of peace;
that, having done your will with cheerfulness during the day,
we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
We read Psalms 73
Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
7 Their eyes swell out through fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and speak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
10 Therefore his people turn back to them,
and find no fault in them.
11 And they say, “How can God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they increase in riches.
13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I have been stricken
and rebuked every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
16 But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.
18 Truly you set them in slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
From Sight to Insight
Psalm 73 is like a sandwich. It has two outer sections that present two opposite visions of life (vv. 2–14 and vv. 18–26). Between them is the “filling,” a small turning point (vv. 15–17) where everything changes.
The psalm begins with a creed every Israelite would affirm:
“Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.”
But immediately the psalmist begins to question: “Is that really so? Is God truly good to the pure in heart?”
The First Vision: Sight (vv. 2–14)
The psalmist’s first vision is dominated by what he sees. It is the vision of sight—and its mood is envy.
He admits, “My feet had almost slipped.” He was nearly swept away by the seductive appearance of the wicked. They looked secure, carefree, and prosperous. Their bodies were “fat and sleek.” Their clothing spoke of pride and power—like designer fashion making a bold statement.
Worse, their imagination knew no bounds. Their words stretched from heaven to earth, as if they were gods themselves—and people followed them.
Overwhelmed by what he saw, the psalmist concludes with despair:
“All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.”
If the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer, what is the point of being good?
The psalmist was slipping away.
The Turning Point: The Sanctuary (vv. 15–17)
Everything changes with one phrase:
“…until I went into the sanctuary of God.”
In the midst of mental oppression, envy, and doubt, the psalmist entered God’s presence. Worship shifted his perspective. Sight gave way to insight.
The Second Vision: Insight (vv. 18–26)
Now the psalmist sees clearly. The wicked are not secure after all—they are on slippery ground. Their fortunes can change suddenly and completely. Their lives are fleeting, fragile, ephemeral.
In contrast, the psalmist discovers that with God as his portion, he has everything. His faith and confidence are restored:
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.”
The psalmist has moved from sight to insight, from envy to trust, from doubt to worship.
What made the difference?
He went into the sanctuary. He came into God’s presence.
When we are overwhelmed by what we see around us—the prosperity of the proud, the apparent futility of righteousness—we need the same turning point. We need to step into God’s presence, to be reoriented by His Word, and to see life as it really is.
Have you been going into the sanctuary of God? Are you spending time with Him, letting His Word and presence reshape your perspective?
Don’t let the slippery seduction of sight draw you away. Instead, plant your feet on the solid ground of His truth. Only then will you move from sight to insight.
We close with this prayer of St. Benedict (480-547)
Gracious and holy Father, give me wisdom to perceive you,
intelligence to fathom you, patience to wait for you,
eyes to behold you, a heart to meditate upon you,
and a life to proclaim you,
through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Be blessed by this song, Give me Jesus
In the morning when I rise
In the morning when I rise
In the morning when I rise
Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus
When I am alone
When I am alone
Oh, when I am alone
Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus
[Interlude]
Jesus
Give me Jesus
Daily Devotion 
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