Until I Entered the Sanctuary: Seeing Clearly Again

“But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” – Psalm 73:2–3

Envy doesn’t always show up as greed or coveting. Sometimes, it comes disguised as exhaustion.

You’re doing all the right things — showing up, loving others, praying, trying — and yet, life feels relentlessly hard. Meanwhile, others glide through without a thought of God and seem to flourish.

That’s exactly where Asaph was in Psalm 73. He wasn’t questioning God’s existence — he was questioning God's justice.

“Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.” – Psalm 73:13

If you’ve ever asked, “Why am I struggling while they’re thriving?” you’re not alone.

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The Illusion of Prosperity

Asaph looks at the arrogant and the wicked and sees success. They’re healthy, wealthy, carefree. They seem immune to the burdens that weigh others down. It’s infuriating. And it leads him to a near crisis of faith.

“When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply…” – Psalm 73:16

But then something shifts.

“...till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.” – Psalm 73:17

Asaph’s perspective didn’t change because their circumstances changed. It changed because his view of reality expanded. He saw beyond the surface — beyond the Instagram feed, beyond the façade of success — and into the eternal.

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The Sanctuary as a Lens

It wasn’t until Asaph came into God’s presence that he could see clearly.

There, in the sacred space of worship and reflection, he realized the prosperity of the wicked is not security — it’s slipperiness. It’s fleeting. It's a foundation made of sand.

“Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.” – Psalm 73:18

The wicked seem to have everything, but without God, they have nothing of lasting value. Their peace is shallow. Their strength is temporary. Their end is not as enviable as it once seemed.

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What We Truly Have

And that realization leads to one of the most beautiful turns in Scripture:

“Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand… Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” – Psalm 73:23, 25

This is the deep comfort we often miss in our moments of comparison:

The wicked may prosper for now, but they do not possess what the faithful have — the unshakeable nearness of God.

What we have is not always material, but it is eternal.

It is presence.
It is peace.
It is purpose.
It is God.

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Clarity in the Sanctuary

Psalm 73 reminds us that envy is often born of partial vision. It’s easy to envy the wicked when you only see the first act of the play. But in the sanctuary — whether that’s a church, your car, or your quiet space at home — your vision expands.

You remember eternity.

You remember that presence is more precious than prosperity.

You remember that “God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)

And suddenly, what the wicked have doesn’t look so desirable after all.