Surely you set them in slippery places.
Psalm 73:18
When Asaph came to worship, he remembered God’s truth, and he met with God’s people. That was where God straightened out this man’s thinking. Remember, Asaph’s problem began when he wondered why the wicked prosper (73:3).
So how did God straighten out Asaph’s thinking? He reminded Asaph of the ultimate outcome of the wicked. Here Asaph uses the picture of walking on ice to describe their end: “Surely you set them in slippery places” (73:18).
How has God set the wicked on slippery ground? The answer is: by prospering them. Prosperity is a great blessing, but it is also slippery ground. The problem is that prosperity often makes a person blind to reality.
Money can make a man think that he is something special. It makes him feel secure. That’s a very slippery place. Remember Jesus’ words about the man who acquired great wealth, built big barns, and had all kinds of plans for his own future? God said, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you” (Luke 12:20).
If prosperity is a slippery place for the wicked, it will be a slippery place for the righteous too.
If God has given you money, you should be thankful. You should also be careful. It’s like walking on ice. Pride can easily come in, and pride comes before a fall (Prov. 16:18).
That’s why Paul says to Timothy: “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17).
Do you think God intends to warn you or encourage you by this today?
