The Psalmist said, “If I had spoken out like that I would have betrayed your children” (Psalms 73:15). This is a confession of a man who reflected on life’s realities and had drawn his own conclusions. He realized that some of his conclusions would have destroyed an entire generation of people.
The psalmist was pondering on the question of why the wicked people prosper while people like him who lead honest life do not fare very well in life. This has led him to conclude that his upright life is a waste of time; he should have tried to be rich and not bothered about being a good person. He said, “Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments” (Psalms 73:14). However, later on he took his questions to the God and received an entirely new perspective on life. He realized that the prosperity and comforts of the wicked are not permanent. He came to know that paucity with deep devotion to God is more desirable than godless prosperity (Psalms 73:28). This relationship with God is what he would long for than wealth (Psalms 73:25).
Now, having received a new perspective on life he regrets that he harboured wrong thoughts. He also realizes that his wrong conclusions about life would have misguided a generation. In sum, he realizes the potential danger of our human reflections on life that we often jump to disregarding a divine perspective. Human beings are endowed with the power to reason; however, mere human reasoning may not help. We need to know the limits of reason and admit that there is a higher wisdom available with God, which is infallible. The purpose of human reasoning is to find out that divine perspective on life’s issues. However, if we fail to do so we betray our own generation and the generations to come.
The psalmist was pondering on the question of why the wicked people prosper while people like him who lead honest life do not fare very well in life. This has led him to conclude that his upright life is a waste of time; he should have tried to be rich and not bothered about being a good person. He said, “Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments” (Psalms 73:14). However, later on he took his questions to the God and received an entirely new perspective on life. He realized that the prosperity and comforts of the wicked are not permanent. He came to know that paucity with deep devotion to God is more desirable than godless prosperity (Psalms 73:28). This relationship with God is what he would long for than wealth (Psalms 73:25).
Now, having received a new perspective on life he regrets that he harboured wrong thoughts. He also realizes that his wrong conclusions about life would have misguided a generation. In sum, he realizes the potential danger of our human reflections on life that we often jump to disregarding a divine perspective. Human beings are endowed with the power to reason; however, mere human reasoning may not help. We need to know the limits of reason and admit that there is a higher wisdom available with God, which is infallible. The purpose of human reasoning is to find out that divine perspective on life’s issues. However, if we fail to do so we betray our own generation and the generations to come.