In The Word
Read: Psalm 77
77 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Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion?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.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
The psalmist was unable to sleep with his troubled mind. He cried deeply during the night because of his distressed spirit, searching his soul for a solution. He recalled the former days when he could sing in the night about God’s goodness. But now he was unsettled because it seemed he had no reason to praise. Faced with no answer to his troubles, the psalmist resolved to cry aloud in prayer unto God. But to him it seemed God had abandoned him. He rejected the doubt-filled thoughts that were fueled by his grief. And in their place, he focused on God and His wonderful mercies to His people in the days of old. The psalmist remembered that God had always miraculously rescued His people and brought them back into relationship with Him. He then found the comfort he was earnestly seeking.
Have you ever felt so overwhelmed from a troubling situation that you could find no rest or sleep? Have you prayed and it seemed like God was not listening and your prayers were being ignored? Then you can relate with today’s psalm. There are days and events in our life’s journey that can be difficult to face and may even consume our thoughts.
In unwavering prayer and worship, we will find the answer we need. The answer is always to run to God. You may not feel God’s presence or feel like God is listening. But He is there; He hears you. Like the psalmist, press in and do not stop praying!