(Psalm 77:1-20) My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will listen to me.2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
In the night my hand was stretched out and did not grow weary;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3 When I remember God, then I am restless;
When I sigh, then my spirit feels weak. Selah
4 You have held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I have considered the days of old,
The years of long ago.
6 I will remember my song in the night;
I will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit ponders:
7 Will the Lord reject forever?
And will He never be favorable again?
8 Has His favor ceased forever?
Has His promise come to an end forever?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious,
Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah
10 Then I said, “It is my grief,
That the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I shall remember the deeds of the Lord;
I will certainly remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all Your work,
And on Your deeds with thanksgiving.
13 Your way, God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your strength among the peoples.
15 By Your power You have redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw You, God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The ocean depths also trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
The skies sounded out;
Your arrows flashed here and there.
18 The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightning lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints were not known.
20 You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
I find verse 10 a type of key thought in this passage. In our grief, or weakness and sinful behavior, "God will change." NOT that the Lord actually changes, but the dynamic between us and the Lord will change. In other words - OUR end of that dynamic and how we see and approach God - is up to us! Unlike any earthly relationship, God is holy, perfect, faithful, unchanging, loving and so very patient!
Just for example, when we have sin in our lives and we are not dealing with it, we will become restless and troubled! God has created everyone with a conscience. As well, for all believers, we can quench the indwelling Holy Spirit, who will then convict our hearts in order to turn us back to the Lord - with humble hearts - to confess our sins! Because of God's grace, we will never lose our salvation (because He has already forgiven all of our sins: past, present and future). But because God loves us, He will discipline us and allow consequences to happen.
Just because we live in a fallen broken world, we will face issues and struggles. God will allow trials and tribulations in our lives to test us. To help our faith and trust grow in His strength and guidance. No matter what the reason is for our suffering and troubled souls, the answer and solution is always the same - continue to grow closer to the Lord in our personal relationship with Him. When we feel that things are hopeless, think about - remember - and mediate on this - God is great!
Our fallible and limited human strength cannot compare to God's sovereign power, but we can consider and remember the great things He has done. And in our weakness, when we look to Him and ask, He is our strength. Also, our fallible and limited minds cannot comprehend God, but we can see and understand that God is all-knowing and faithful, and He will look after us. And in our shortsightedness, when we ask and trust in Him, He is our hope and our confidence.
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