When Life Doesn’t Make Sense

Introduction

Many years ago it was decided in this country to set aside a whole day to celebrate mothers. Poems and songs were written. A whole section of stores were dedicated to cards and presents and gifts. Entire pieces of real estate were devoted to just growing the flowers that would be sold on that day. Sometime after that, somebody said, Oh, yeah, fathers. I read that the amount of money spent on and for Father’s Day is remarkably less than what is spent on Mother’s Day. And I don’t know that the statistics really even fully bear that out because when our children were still at home, they insisted on taking dad out to eat for Father’s Day.

The scriptures tell us to honor our earthly fathers. We think that man who for many of us was a provider, a protector, a stern disciplinarian, and a corny joke teller. So honor your father and your mother. And today, if you don’t have happy memories of home and family, if your family was beyond dysfunctional, and maybe you don’t even have a father to honor. I want you to rejoice this day that God has given you a spiritual family that can take the place and in many ways supersede that physical earthly family that you have. And not only upon this first day of the week, but every day of your life to honor the Father.

If you don’t, there should be one supplied in the pew in front of you. Go with me in the Old Testament to Psalm 73. Psalm 73. Want to ask you this morning, not have you ever been, but when was the last time you were confused? Confusion’s just a part of life, isn’t it? There’s so many things that we just simply cannot understand. I saw a guy several years ago that had a t-shirt with the letter K, big letter K emboldened on the front of that t-shirt. Being the nosy person that I am, I said, What does that K stand for? And he said, it stands for confused. I said, You do know confused starts with a C. And he said, You don’t have any idea how confused I am.

Life is a part of confusion. Confusion’s a part of life, isn’t it? There’s so many things that we just simply cannot grasp, that are beyond our knowing. And certainly that is the case when it comes to our Heavenly Father. If we’re honest about our faith, there are many things about which we do not have sufficient answers when it comes to God and his dealings with man. There are times in maybe our doubts and in our darkness and our discouragements where we would even question God. Why? Why, God, are you doing this? And maybe more often not, we question God’s inaction in silence. God, why aren’t you stopping this? Why? And I think sometimes in our buttoned up version of Christianity, we’re afraid to voice those questions to someone else because we may be viewed as being weak or insubordinate.

And so we just suppress our doubts and our questions. But you know, one of the benefits of the Psalms, and I hope they’re still using this year in the Psalms to bring you closer to an understanding of God. But one of the benefits of the Psalms that we’ve been able to see in our daily Bible reading is that the Psalms are absolutely honest, frankly so, about their relationship with God. So many of the Psalms are psalms of glorious praise and thanksgiving as they bear their soul in thanking and praising God for what He has done for them. But many times the Psalms bear the soul in another way of simply saying, God, I don’t understand. Why? Psalm 73 is such a psalm. And it’s one that we’ve read recently in our daily Bible reading, and I wanted to spend our time this morning in a lesson that we’ve simply entitled When Life Doesn’t Make Sense.

For the psalmist, life, for a portion of his time at least, was not making sense. And he will say, as we read this psalm in a little bit, he will say so much so the perplexity was so great that I almost lost my faith. And we want to talk about that perplexity, that confusion. But then we’re going to see what brought the psalmist back around. What were the spiritual smelling salts that brought him back to his senses?

1. Begins and Ends With the Goodness of God

Let’s read this psalm together this morning and kind of break it down as we do so. I want to start reading in an unusual way. I want us to read the first and the last verse to begin with, because we’re going to see that this psalm, the bulk of its 28 verses, have to do with him wrestling with his doubt and uncertainty. But I want you to first see how it begins and ends in what we might simply call the context of his confusion. Verse 1 says this Psalm 73, verse 1, truly God is good to Israel, to such as pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled. Notice how he begins. God is good. And now notice how he ends. Skip down to verse 28.

But it is good. It is good for me to draw near to God. I have put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all of your works. He’s going to talk about his questions. He’s going to talk about the things he could not understand about why God was doing and not doing some things. But it’s interesting to note that he begins and ends with the declaration of the goodness of God. That’s important. It’s important for us to wrestle with these questions of faith, these doubts that we may have, but to do them in a context of faith. Notice how he does this. Keep reading.

2. Looking Out the Window at the Prosperity of the Wicked

He said, But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, verse two. My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death, but their strength is firm. They’re not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride serves as their necklace. Violence covers them as a garment. Their eyes bulge in abundance, they have more than heart could wish. They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression. They speak loftily. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth. Therefore his people return here, and waters of a full cup are drained by them. And they say, How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?

Behold, these are the ungodly who are always at ease.

He starts by looking out at the world around him, and he sees it full of wicked evil people, and his observation is they’ve got it made. Nothing bad ever happens to them. Now could it be? Could it be that the psalmist in his doubt and in his darkness is exaggerating that a little bit? Can’t we be that way a little bit?

When we have questions and doubts, when we have our darkest moments, we kind of tend to exaggerate things a little bit. But his view at least was here are these wicked people and they are prospering. Nothing bad ever happens to them. God is not treating them the way they deserve to be treated. God should insert his hand into time and punish these people, or at least not make it so good for them. And so his first doubt, his first state of confusion circles around what we might call an external or a philosophical question. He’s looking out his window and observing things. And he’s confused. Why is it this way? His confusion will be heightened when he turns from looking out the window and turns and looks in the mirror and sees his own personal circumstances.

3. Looking in the Mirror at His Own Circumstances

Continue reading in Psalm 73, verse 13. Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued and chastened every morning. If I had said, I will speak thus, behold, it would have been untrue to the generation of your children. When I thought of how to understand this, it was too painful for me. So after looking at the external picture in some kind of philosophical way, he now looks and says, Then no, look at me. I’m a good guy. And much like Job before him, saying, Look, I’m living a righteous life, but look, everything bad, maybe again a bit of hyperbole in his darkness. Everything bad is happening to me. Nothing good ever comes to me.

God is not pleasing me. God is not blessing me. God does not love me. Therefore, God must be unfair. Why, God? I can’t understand it. And then he goes on. And finds his answer. Verse 21. Thus my heart was grieved. And I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant. I was like a beast before you. Nevertheless, I am continually with me. Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven beside you? And there’s none on earth that I desire but you. My flesh and my heart fail. But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For indeed those who are far from you shall perish.

You have destroyed all those who desert you for harlotry. But it is good. It is good for me to draw near to God. I put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all of your works. Again, we can thank God for the Psalms. Because whether it be expressions of joy and thanksgiving, or whether it be expressions of our darkest doubts and questions, the poet says it better than we can. And expresses our real feelings. We must recognize the temptation that this perplexity puts upon us. I think he recognizes the danger that he was in. He starts by saying, My feet almost stumbled. I almost fail. I had these doubts, I had these questions, this confusion. Why is God doing? Why is he not doing?

4. Perplexity Is Not Necessarily Sin

And it almost cost me my faith. And so let’s first wrestle with the temptation of this perplexity. First of all, we need to recognize that this perplexity, this confusion, our questions and our even doubts are not necessarily sin. He says, I almost stumbled. Though I have these questions and these doubts.

In fact, we need to recognize that this perplexity is completely understandable. When we recognize the vast gulf that exists between the mind of God and the minds of even the most brilliant of humans. Do you remember this passage? Hold your finger here in Psalm 73. You remember the Old Testament passage in Isaiah 55. God is talking about not just his mind, but his plans of the things that he’s going to do.

And then the mind of God, God reminds us through the prophet of this. Isaiah 55, you’ll remember verses 8 and 9. Behold, my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with some curiosity. Nothing wrong with seeking after God and wanting to know deeper and more meaningful and even the details of God and God’s workings. But start with this premise. He is God. And I am not. I’m never fully going to understand. I have to start with that premise. Or I’m just going to frustrate myself in my search. Look what the New Testament says, how it’s worded in the book of Romans chapter 11.

One of the things that we praise God for is his mind, the wisdom of God. Paul put it this way to the Roman brethren in Romans chapter 11. And in verse 33. Notice this exaltation of praise and how it fits into our context this morning. Romans 11, verse 33, O the depth and the riches, both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out. Do we believe that? Do we believe that the mind of God is so beyond anything? That should do a couple things for us. Really, three things that I can think of. You can maybe think add to that list. Number one, it should do what Paul does here. It should cause us to bow down on our knees and praise an almighty God.

It then should cause us to recognize what humble creatures we are that we cannot comprehend the mind of God.

And thirdly, that should then help us to deal with our doubts and our questions. Not always answering those questions, by the way. But simply supplying us with the knowledge that our knowledge is limited and we may never know. You know, sometimes we solace ourselves a little bit in making statements such as this. Well, we don’t know now, but in heaven.

I don’t know so much about that even. Do you recognize that even in heaven, he’ll still be God? And we still won’t be. Will we know more in heaven? Yes, I believe we will.

No. But I’ve got a feeling that the first glimpse of that throne scene will cause us to forget whatever questions we have. Because we’ll recognize He is God. And so we need to recognize there’s going to be perplexity. I can’t understand who He is. I cannot understand why He’s doing what He’s doing. There’s so much that I cannot comprehend because He is God. There are difficulties, there are perplexities because our finite minds want to think of the here and now. We are so limited in our views. We think carnally, we think worldly. We think of from the time of our birth to the time of our death. And we want all things to work together for good in that time frame. When God must be laughing and saying that is not even a blip on the radar of eternity.

Several years ago. We lived in the Birmingham area. We’d gone to a sporting goods store. And while we were there, there was kind of a ruckus going on, and we were kind of figuring out what was happening, and come to find out two young men had gone in the store, gone to the back of the store, and each grabbed two boxes of Nike tennis shoes. That’s big been when the Air Jordan tennis shoes were big and they were expensive. And they had run out the door with four pairs of those tennis shoes, jumped in a car that was waiting for them. That car sped off and was gone. And the employees were all in a flutter trying to figure out what happened. Who did you get?

Nobody had gotten a tag number, nobody really had a good description of them. And our young kids were saying, What’s happened? We explained to them what happened. Well, what’s going to happen to them? Well, we had to admit, probably nothing. They got away with it. Did he call it? Yeah, but by the time the police get here, they’ll already be playing basketball, wearing those shoes. They’re not going to get caught. They got away with it. And our kids couldn’t understand that because they were used to getting caught and getting in trouble and it being handled right there. You mean you can get away with stuff?

And they saw the unfairness of, well, that’s not fair. No, it’s not fair. Well, surely they’ll. No, I’m sorry. The police, as good and effective as they are, they’re not clairvoyant. They don’t know where to find those young men. It’s. But of course, then we had to have a spiritual conversation with them. Turned into a Bible class. But you know who did see them? Who does know their names and where they live? And if they don’t make things right, who they’ll have to answer to. Sometimes we have to have that conversation with ourselves. That it’s not all going to work out here. That all things work together for good, that those that love the Lord doesn’t expire the day of our funeral. That that was speaking in grander, bigger pictures.

5. God Endures Our Ignorance

Perplexity isn’t necessarily a sin, but as the psalmist warns us here, it can lead us to fall. But thankfully, go back to Psalm 73. Thankfully, not only do we recognize that God’s wisdom and knowledge is far above ours, God recognizes that as well. And he endures, up to a point at least, he endures our ignorance. Look what the psalmist said, Psalm 73, verses 22 and 23. I was foolish and ignorant. I was like a beast before you. Nevertheless, I’m continually with you, and you hold me by my right hand. Even while I was foolish and ignorant and like a dumb beast before you, you still held me by my right hand. God knows we’re ignorant. And he endures that.

6. Two Things That Kept Him From Falling

Knowing, not understanding. But then lastly, the psalmist gives us at least two things that kept him from falling, and that will help us as well. Remember, he says in the midst of this question, God, why? How can you let people do? Why are you letting this happen to me? Why, God, why? In the midst of all of this, he says, though my feet almost stumbled, something brought me back to my senses. First of all, it was his dedication to his community of faith. Look at verse 15. Psalm 73, verse 15. If I had said, I will speak thus, behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of your children. When he thought about his doubts and his questions, and even sometimes maybe his anger at God, he said, if I would have said that, I would have been untrue to the generation of God’s faithful people.

I had to get over my anger. Because I had a responsibility to be true to God and to the people of God. Look what he says in verses 25 and 26. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides you.

But God is the strength of my heart and my portion. Two things. His dedication to the community of his faith, the people, but most importantly, his God. I don’t understand why. What’s interesting here is much like Job, he doesn’t end up with all the answers. That’s not what solved this dilemma of faith. Oh, now I under no, there was no aha light bulb going off at all. He just simply said, God, I still don’t know why you aren’t smiting these wicked people. I still don’t know why you aren’t enriching my bank account. But whom have I in heaven but you?

Even when I’m angry, you’re still my God. Who else do I have? The turning point for this psalmist seems to be in verse seventeen. When he is reminded of the community of faith, when he is reminded of his Lord, he says, all of this, verse 16, all of this was too painful, too difficult for me, until I went into the sanctuary of God. There was not an aha moment necessarily where all of his questions were answered and doubts removed. But there was an oh yeah moment. Oh yeah. God is on his throne. And he’s not finished reigning. Because he went on to say there in verse 17, until I went into the sanctuary of God, then I understood their end. Judgment is not yet come. God has not reconciled.

Conclusion

God is not finished. Who am I to question God at all? But certainly who am I to question him in the middle of the unfolding of his plan? God is in control. And God is on his throne. Are you confused? So confused that you could walk around with a t-shirt with a letter K on it? Do you sometimes have doubts? Even anger that make you almost stumble and fall. Two pieces of advice. Number one, go to the Psalms. And let the Psalms express the feelings of your heart. Second, go to the sanctuary of God. And be reminded, who have I in heaven but you? Though I don’t understand, though I don’t agree. You are my God. Forgive me of my ignorant ways. Would you submit to that God this morning?

You don’t have to know everything there is to know about God, about life, even about how he will wash away your sins. Just simply submit to his will and say, You are my God. Would you believe in him this morning? Confess that faith before these good people, repent of your sins, and to be baptized for the remission of your sins. Maybe your foot has almost already slipped. Then why not come back to him saying, God, I believe. Forgive my unbelief. If we can help you in any spiritual way as you respond to the gospel call, let it be known right now, as together we stand and as we sing.