21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
and I was all torn up inside.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
23 Yet I still belong to you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.
27 Those who desert him will perish,
for you destroy those who abandon you.
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. NLT
Before you start: This psalm reveals the inner struggle caused by envy. The writer began in verse one by stating that God honors a pure heart. But the rest of the psalm has been a confession of envy towards the “proud”. If you have time, go back through the first 20 verses to explore the tension of the writer’s heart.
Look at verse 21. How does envy impact the purity of the heart?
Look at verses 22-24. What do these verses reveal about the way God cares for us?
Look at verses 25-26. What does someone gain from following God?
Consider verse 27. What does someone lose by being “proud”?
If someone who has a “pure” heart gains more than someone who has a “proud” heart, why do we still struggle so much with envy?
::::: APPLICATION CHALLENGE :::::
In what ways could verse 28 be a defining verse for how to live our lives?
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