Ready:
“When I became embittered and my innermost being was wounded, I was stupid and didn’t understand; I was an unthinking animal toward you.” – Psalm 73:21-22
Set:
Many of us can relate to what Asaph is talking about in this verse. The whole psalm is him writing out his feelings and processing how unfair life seems. It’s easy for us to get stuck in that mindset. Maybe you’ve worked so hard in your sport to keep your integrity, you’re honoring Christ as Lord and life is difficult, and yet there are athletes on your team who are living worldly lives and seem to have it easy. Psalm 73 is full of Asaph’s unfiltered feelings and emotions about what is going on in his life. He doesn’t hold back his feelings or his lack of understanding. Halfway through his thoughts, we see the verse that reveals Asaph’s perspective changing.
“When I tried to understand all this, it seemed hopeless until I entered God’s sanctuary. Then I understood their destiny” (Psalm 73:16-17).
Asaph’s problem was comparison. We all struggle with it from time to time. It is a phrase we know but comparison is a thief of joy. Absolutely no good comes from it, so why entertain it? Asaph said when he tried to understand it all, it seemed hopeless. UNTIL. Until he entered God’s sanctuary. That is where things changed for him.
We have all felt bitterness and the deep wounds of our innermost being after being hurt by a teammate or close friend or family member. Maybe we’re just hurt because our circumstances feel like God is being unfair. When we decide to go down that road, we will become like Asaph did: stupid, not understanding and an unthinking animal toward the God who loves us.
If you think about an animal, they have no concept of eternity. They’re living on natural instincts and impulses, satisfying natural urges and momentary pleasures. When Asaph forgot about eternity, he truly acted as an animal before God. And so do we. Asaph went on to say in verse 24 that God guides him in His counsel. Asaph was only able to have this perspective after he entered God’s sanctuary.
Asaph wasn’t left alone to figure things out in his hard times and neither are we. Spend some time with God and remember eternity.
Go:
Read Psalm 73. Examine yourself to see if you’ve fallen into the same type of thinking Asaph did.
Where are you embittered and wounded in your innermost being?
How does the truth of eternity shift your perspective?
Workout:
Overtime:
“Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the example of Asaph and his honesty with You. We can bring anything to You. Thank You Lord for making a way for us to enter your sanctuary, even more than that, thank you Lord that Your Spirit dwells within me. I am never alone. I pray you will help me to surrender my own understanding of my circumstances and help me to look at them in light of eternity. I love you. Amen.”