Almost Stumbled
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. Psalm 73:2 · Berean Standard Bible
You're about to hear something vulnerable: the psalmist almost lost his footing spiritually, nearly gave up on what he knew to be true.
Asaph is being honest in a way that would've resonated deeply with his community. Everyone listening has felt their faith wobble. He's saying, 'I almost didn't make it through this.' By admitting it, he gives permission for others to name their own struggles without shame.
Asaph, moving from doctrine into confession.
This is where the real human story begins. Throughout Scripture, faithful people struggle—Abraham doubts, Job questions, Elijah despairs. The Bible doesn't hide these moments; it honors them as part of genuine faith.
The speaker confesses that his faith nearly collapsed—his spiritual equilibrium was fundamentally shaken by what he observed about the world's injustice.
The Hebrew verb כִשְׁלוּ (kišhlū) carries connotations of both stumbling and falling into sin, suggesting this was not mere intellectual doubt but existential crisis threatening covenant obedience. The 'almost' signals how close the psalmist came to abandoning his righteousness entirely—a realistic portrayal of crisis faith.
The same Asaph, now shifting from corporate affirmation to personal vulnerability, using first-person confession to authenticate his struggle.
This exemplifies the biblical pattern of wrestling with God (Jacob at Peniel, Job's lament) where honest doubt becomes spiritually productive rather than condemnable. The speaker refuses false piety, modeling integrity before the divine.
1Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
2But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped.
3For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4They have no struggle in their death; their bodies are well-fed.
Read all of Psalm 73 — Asaph nearly lost his faith watching the wicked prosper — until he entered the sanctuary and saw the end of the story.
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