Lesson 081323 Psalm 77 How Long?
August 2023
Anne and I moved to Raleigh in 2013. A few years before that, led by our Lord, we sold or gave away much, left family and friends and vibrant ministries behind, sold our home, packed up what was left and bought a large restaurant, intending to reach people with the Gospel.
Much of what we intended, prayed about, trusted God for and asked Him to do, did not happen. We felt like failures, abandoned, alone, and really wondering if we had heard God wrong.
This Psalm, Psalm 77, always reminds me of that time. Perhaps it will have important lessons and reminders for you too.
77 I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God, and he will hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 When I remember God, I moan;
when I meditate, my spirit faints.
4 You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old,
the years long ago.
6 I said, “Let me remember my song in the night;
let me meditate in my heart.”
Then my spirit made a diligent search:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever,
and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah
10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
15 You with your arm redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph.
16 When the waters saw you, O God,
when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
indeed, the deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
the skies gave forth thunder;
your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lighted up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea,
your path through the great waters;
yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Now, let’s dive in and examine what God may be saying to us through this Psalm
77 I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God, and he will hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 When I remember God, I moan;
when I meditate, my spirit faints.
4 You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
Have you ever been here, where the writer is? Crying, aloud, seeking, stretched out, weary, refusing to be comforted, moaning, fainting even…so troubled he cannot speak
That is a heavy place. Maybe you, like us, know this place…
It seems endless, ongoing, without a solution…listen as the Psalmist asks, like we ask…
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever,
and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger shut up his compassion?”
Has He? Has He forgotten us? Has He abandoned and turned His back on us, should we simply give up and turn away from God? Even Jesus asked His disciples a question like this one time…
67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”
We got to this place, to this question…and here is what our God clearly said to us, as Peter clearly said to Jesus in that same passage in the Gospel of John
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
Take note of that…Jesus asked them and Peter declared what we ALL MUST declare…where else will we go, You, Lord Jesus, You, are the Holy One of God.
And this Jesus, this Holy One of God, is the way to our salvation. He is the One of Whom the prophets speak, He is the One Who, in a dark and lonely stable, entered the world as a baby, born to a virgin. He is the One Who grew up in favor to God and man, and at the appointed time, began His earthly work. He is the One Who healed, Who encouraged, Who strenthened, Who challenged. He is the One of Whom the Scriptures speak, Who was accused and mocked and scorned and crucified. He is the One Who took all of the wrath of the Father, aimed towards you and me, and took it upon Himself and died. But death could not hold Him, nor could the grave...He rose victoriously over death and is now seated at the Father's Right Hand. And, best of all, He did all of this for you and for me. Jesus stood, and now stands, in our place, Savior and King. All you need to do is believe...do you believe this?
So, having established that we have no real choice but the one true God, what do we do when we are right there, in that hard place, seemingly without hope, all seems lost, even God Himself does not feel present…to what or whom do we look?
10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
15 You with your arm redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph.
What an amazing turn, a reassurance, a reminder…that’s key…a reminder of Who God is and what He alone has done before and what He has promised and what He will do and is doing…
And the Psalmist continues, finishing this text in a far different place than when he began just a few verses ago…
16 When the waters saw you, O God,
when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
indeed, the deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
the skies gave forth thunder;
your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lighted up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea,
your path through the great waters;
yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
And so he concludes, with what, with remembering way back to Israel’s deliverance out of the hands of Pharoah. And we will too…you see, as we remember, we look back on where we have been, what we have experienced, the abandonment or despair we sometimes feel, and we see a good, good God who has been with us every single step of the way, even when His hand, His footprints, have not been seen.
Let’s continue singing and give thanks and worship and rejoice in and to this great God Almighty, trusting in our Savior Jesus and walking by faith by His Spirit in us.
And now, Lord, use these words and Your Word and touch those who need to hear it...in Jesus' name, Amen.
