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Day 18

Psalm 73:16b "It was too painful for me..."

Day 18 – Psalm 73

“It was too painful for me…” Psalm 73:16b

PAINFUL THOUGHTS

We often associate pain as something that occurs only in the physical realm. There is pain associated with illnesses, surgical procedures etc. Asaph wrote about another kind of pain that he had to struggle with in the following text.

“When I thought how to understand this,
It was too painful for me-”
Psalm 73:16

1. When I thought

a) Asaph employed human reasoning vigorously.
b) He made careful observations.
i) About the wicked, the ungodly, the boastful.
ii) He noted that they seemed to prosper in all they did.
c) He also noted how he fared.
i) He was not wealthy.
ii) He suffered much in life.

2. To understand this

a) He could not understand why the wicked seemed to prosper.
b) He could not accept that God did not punish the wicked.

3. It was too painful for me

a) His theological beliefs seemed shaken to the core.
b) There was painful conflict felt.
i) This pain was felt emotionally.
ii) This pain was also felt intellectually.
iii) It was a very deep pain that threatened to overwhelm him.