Psalm 73 is a very honest psalm. The author, Asaph, tells us about the time he almost stopped following the Lord. He saw the arrogance of the wicked, envied their success, and wondered why they were permitted to prosper. Had he cleansed his heart in vain? He had troubles every day while the wicked seemed to be carefree (vv. 5, 13).

But by the time he composed the psalm, Asaph had learned that there was more than one perspective. “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end,” he wrote (v. 17). He realized that present injustices did not reflect God’s ultimate ability to set things right.

As a result, the psalm begins and ends with goodness. Verse 1 declares, “Truly God is good.” To say, “God is good,” is to recite doctrinal facts, but to say, “Truly God is good,” is to give a personal testimony. It affirms that the goodness of God has been known in personal experience. Although Asaph had once nearly stumbled, he starts his psalm by taking a stand upon the firm foundation of God’s goodness. This word to the pure in heart of Israel will also strengthen us.

Then Asaph concludes the psalm with a reminder to himself: “It is good for me to draw near to God.” It is one thing to say that God is good; It is another thing to seek to be close to God Himself. Asaph did not want to repeat his anxious experience; therefore, to avoid another crisis of faith, he intended to draw near to God. And notice that he had put his trust in “the Lord God”—in Adonai Jehovah, the sovereign Savior God who has both the power and the desire to preserve us. If ever we have similar questions about the world’s injustices, we can find the same refuge in the God who is good.