In his moral failing and distorted view of God, he certainly felt distant from Him. Yet in his repentance, he gives one of the richest confessions of God’s faithfulness to His people: “Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory” (vv. 23–24).

My own moral failings, intrusive thoughts, and moments of doubt have sometimes left me feeling worthless and weak. In those moments, I can’t help but feel that God is ashamed of me or distant. And in my weakness, I ask myself, “How can I hold on to Him more earnestly?”

The Bible teaches clearly that we are to seek God through the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3; Matt. 6:33), live in obedience (John 14:15), and run to Jesus as we fix our focus on Him (Heb. 12:1–2). The Spirit also helps and strengthens us during this process (Rom. 8:26). In this sense, our faith must be living and active (Heb. 4:12), yet faith is not about how well we are following or pursuing God. At its core, faith isn’t even about “holding on” to God.

Learning from Asaph in Psalm 73

One of my most treasured passages is Psalm 73. In the first part of the psalm, Asaph looks at the prosperity of the wicked and became jealous and angry. He isn’t just angry at the wicked—he’s angry at God Himself: “When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you” (vv. 21–22).

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