What is the meaning of Psalm 88:3? For my soul The psalmist opens by focusing on the inner person—“soul” is the real, conscious self. • David laments in Psalm 42:11, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?”, showing that deep discouragement is not foreign to believers. • Psalm 63:1 speaks of a thirsty soul longing for God, reminding us that only the Lord ultimately satisfies. • Even while overwhelmed, the writer knows his soul remains accountable before God, echoing Psalm 103:1, “Bless the LORD, O my soul.” is full of troubles Trouble is not a momentary irritation here; the soul is “full,” saturated. • Psalm 31:9 pleads, “Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes fail from grief, my soul and body as well”. • Job felt the same saturation when he cried, “I am filled with disgrace and affliction” (Job 10:15). • Still, Psalm 46:1 assures us, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble”. The feeling of being overwhelmed does not cancel God’s promise of help. and my life draws near The crisis is so severe that death seems imminent. • Psalm 22:11 prays, “Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help”. • Isaiah 38:10 records Hezekiah’s lament, “I said, ‘In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol’”, mirroring the psalmist’s sense of approaching the end. • Paul likewise felt close to departure: “I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ” (Philippians 1:23). to Sheol “Sheol” describes the realm of the dead—real, not symbolic. • Psalm 30:3 celebrates rescue: “O LORD, You brought me up from Sheol; You spared me from descending into the Pit”. • Jonah confessed, “From the belly of Sheol I called for help, and You heard my voice” (Jonah 2:2), proving that God hears even from the brink of death. • Psalm 116:3 remembers, “The cords of death encompassed me, and the anguish of Sheol laid hold of me; I encountered distress and sorrow”. The psalmist of Psalm 88 is standing where Psalm 116 once stood—under the shadow, yet still speaking to God. summary Psalm 88:3 voices the raw reality of a believer whose whole being is overwhelmed, convinced death is near, and fully aware of Sheol’s dark reality. The verse invites us to bring even our darkest despair to the Lord, confident He hears, remembers His promises, and remains sovereign over both life and death. |
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