Slippery Ground

There is a thin coat of ice over everything.
Freezing rain fell during the night.
With the temperatures right below freezing, the ice was inevitable.
One look outside and you see a beautiful winter landscape ready to be put on canvas.

Icicles hang delicately from tree limbs.
A glaze of ice glistens on the walkway.
Everything is frozen in place.
Held down in position by the ice.

Beautiful to look at, but treacherous to walk on.
Remarkable to see, but dangerous to drive on.
Beautiful yet precarious.
A frozen landscape, still and quiet, yet with hidden perils.

As I went to church yesterday morning, I crossed over a nearby lake.
As far as I could see, the lake was frozen.
Near the water’s edge young boys were playing ice hockey.
They had cleared enough snow to make a perfect square; a pseudo ice-rink on a lake.

They were playing ice hockey in their shoes.
Slipping and sliding, shooting and scoring.
I wanted to stop, get out of my car, stand against the bridge and watch them.
By the time I returned home, they were gone.

Weather reports always warn of black ice.
Black ice is a thin coating of glazed ice on a surface.
It is quite dangerous since it is virtually unseen.
Walking or driving is extremely hazardous in these conditions.

I remember approaching a stop sign years ago as I was driving to college.
It was an intersection I had traveled through many times before.
It was a back road that ran parallel to a main road.
There was usually no traffic on this particular road and it saved time.

This particular morning, I approached the stop sign.
Without even knowing what had happened, I found that I could not stop.
I spun around going to the left side and back over to the right.
I was helpless on this layer of black ice that allowed me to have no traction whatsoever.

Thankfully, no other car was around.
I was alone on the road, pointing in the other direction.
When I regained composure, I carefully turned the car in the direction it should have been.
I continued on my way, shaken but unhurt.

I never forgot that feeling of confusion.
I never forgot that feeling of being utterly helpless.
I never forgot how desperately frightening it was to be out of control.
I never forgot how grateful I was to be on my way again, in the right direction.

We are often in precarious situations.
We often find ourselves in adverse conditions.
Conditions that demand care and precision as we travel along.
Conditions that change the terrain of the areas with which we are most familiar.

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 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. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore, pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts come iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds knows no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?” This is what the wicked are like – always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning. If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely You placed them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. (Psalm 73:1-18)

Slippery ground.
Envying the wicked and their lifestyle and their seemingly effortless way of life.
Slippery ground.
Living your life without God.

Wickedness expresses the corrupt dispositions of the heart.
The heart that has not been transformed from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh.
The heart that wants no part of God.
The heart that lives for this world with no thought of eternity.

When Asaph wrote this psalm, he addressed an age-old problem.
Why do the wicked seem to prosper?
Why do the righteous continue to follow God when there seems to be no earthly gain?
Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.

Following God is never in vain.
The operative word is: seem.
The wicked seem to prosper.
The righteous seem to live an obedient life in vain.

When Asaph entered the sanctuary of God it all became clear.
Following God is never in vain.
Keeping your heart pure and your hands innocent is not an act of futility.
Keeping an eye on eternity and not just the here and now is crucial.

When our eyes are on God, then our perspective is where it should be.
Instead of looking around, we are looking at Him

Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You.
But as for me, it is good to be near God. (Psalm 73:25,28)

No slippery ground here.
Just the Solid Rock on which I stand.