Psalm 73:1-2a opens: “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me …”. He (Asaph here) recognized God’s goodness to His people (“Israel”) in general, and to the “pure in heart” especially. Then he says, “BUT as for me ….”. This is important, for he recognizes that HE is not among those aforesaid “pure in heart.” For HE “came close to stumbling” (:2) and “was envious of the wicked.” Much of the rest of the Psalm is taken up with a description of how he doubted God. There might be some “pure in heart” in Israel, says he, but I am not among them!

However, there is hope in that.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The “poor in spirit” are the ones who recognize their need for God, their “spiritual poverty.” This Psalmist did that. He recognized that he did not have the attitude he should have had, and confessed it to God, and had a humble attitude about himself. Jesus tells all such to have hope: “for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”! Those who refuse to admit their need, like the infamous Pharisees of the New Testament, Jesus said would never see heaven.

So if you are feeling “poor in spirit” today, and recognize your spiritual inadequacy and lack of righteousness, it should actually be a cause for rejoicing — if it causes you to depend only on the righteousness that God provided for you in Jesus to make you right with Him. It is actually a blessing to say, with Asaph, “But as for me …”.