Psalms 73:20
“As a dream when one wakes up, so, Lord, when you awake, you will despise their fantasies.”
What does Psalms 73:20 mean?
The psalmist is comparing the schemes and power of the wicked to nothing more than a fleeting dream. When we wake from sleep, the dream dissolves instantly and loses all its weight, no matter how real it felt in the moment. He's saying that God's awakening to judge will have the same effect on the plans of those who ignore him—they'll vanish like vapors, revealed as hollow and insignificant. This is deeply comforting if you're watching injustice or arrogance flourish around you. The psalmist isn't denying that wickedness exists or feels powerful right now. He's simply reminding us that from God's perspective, these threats are temporary illusions that will be dismissed when true reality (God's justice) finally breaks through. It's an invitation to stop being impressed or intimidated by what only looks substantial in the darkness.