Psalm 73

“Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart!” (v1).  This psalm opens with truth, yet the psalmist admitted that at times he struggled to believe it.  He saw “the prosperity of the wicked” (v3); they seemed to be thriving without God.  He wondered if his own attempts at purity were pointless (v13), since he was suffering: “my heart was embittered, and I was pierced within…” (v14,21).   Then he looked for God, and found “Thou hast taken hold of my right hand” (v23).

This is the answer, the gift that surpasses everything on earth (v25): “the nearness of God is my good” (v28).