Read: Psalm 73:1-17

Do you sometimes feel like other people have so much more than you? Are you jealous of others, especially unbelievers? They can seem to have all the latest toys and gadgets, while you don’t because your parents must give money to the church. They can do what they like, while you have to visit your aging grandparents. Sometimes it can just seem so unfair. Those unbelievers can seem to be so happy and have so many good things and they don’t even love the Lord. Yet, while you love the Lord and serve him, you have difficult things happening in your life.

That feeling of jealousy isn’t something that only you feel. Many Christians over the years have had jealous feelings. Asaph, the author of this psalm was also jealous. He starts this psalm by confessing that the Lord is good. He knows that the Lord is good, and he does serve the Lord. But then something happens. He feels himself slipping in his faith. He starts becoming jealous of all the good things the unbelievers have and how good their lives seem. And he feels himself slipping away from the Lord.

The same can happen to you. Of course you love the Lord and want to serve him, but then you see the good life of the unbelievers and you start getting a bit angry and jealous. Why do they have it so good while you don’t? You don’t want to feel jealous; you really want to be happy in the things the Lord has given you. But somehow that jealous feeling still creeps in, just like it did for Asaph.

So what did Asaph do? He went to the temple and worshipped the Lord. He knew that he needed to focus on the Lord and not on the unbelievers. He looked to God and then everything changed for him. When he focused on the Lord and on worshiping him, his jealous feelings could fall away. And that is exactly what you need to do when you feel jealous too. Worship the Lord and focus on him.

Reflection with your child:

What was Asaph so jealous about?

Source: Sermon by Rev. W. Bosch