Either life is meaningless, or it isn’t—there are no options in between. If life is meaningless, then this temporal world is all we have, and it will quickly pass away. But the wisdom psalms teach us the truth: life has meaning, and that meaning is rooted in our eternal God. In Him we find hope despite injustice.

Psalm 37: Cultivating Hope

The source of our hope will determine the way we behave in this life. If we believe that there is no meaning and no hope, then we will behave however we want with no regard to others. But if we place our hope in God, then we will seek to live according to His ways.

Psalm 37 teaches us this truth, reminding us that our perspective is the critical factor in how we live. Either we will judge God according to our circumstances, or we will judge our circumstances according to God’s unchanging character. If we do the former, we may be disheartened by the prosperity of the wicked. But if we do the latter, we will see the end of the wicked and will find hope despite injustice.

Psalm 73: Waiting for God

Psalm 73 contains a similar message to Psalm 37. In it, Asaph recounts his struggle with seeing the prosperity of the wicked and the injustice they cause. But the turning point for him comes when he enters the temple of God. He then recognizes the brevity of our earthbound sojourn and realizes that God will not be mocked—there is more to life than this temporal sojourn.

If we desire God more than anything else, we will have a proper perspective on the circumstances of this life. Contrary to the prosperity gospel, we do not have the assurance of material well-being and justice on this earth. Instead, we will face hardship—but God is in control.

Watch more of Ken Boa’s Friday morning study videos here.

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