Psalm 77
1 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. Selah
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. Selah
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.
Aren’t there times when we just seem to be inconsolable? Our circumstances seem so heavy, we feel so burdened that our natural response is one of annoyance. “My soul refuses to be comforted.” It’s hard not to get bogged down by circumstance, to feel like the Lord is the one keeping us up at night. This is what’s wonderful about the Psalms. They give us permission to feel. They give us permission to hurt, then they encourage us to remember, to remember that we serve a God who hears us when we cry out to Him.
Sometimes God’s way brings us through hardship. Sometimes His way is through the sea, His path through the great waters, but He leads His people like a shepherd. His path might be through the deep abyss and that might scare us, but it’s the waters that are afraid of Him.
It’s always hard to do in the moment, but it’s helpful sometimes to try to view your current circumstance, whether good or bad, from a greater distance. Back up and try to see the whole picture as difficult as it can be because it always offers perspective. Try to view this one circumstance within the scope of your entire life. It always offers context, and context helps keep us grounded in the truth.
Prayer and Reflection
Pray for eyes to see the whole picture. Pray for the ability to see outside of yourself and view your life in context. See how it relates to others right now, but also throughout history. Reflect on the truth that God hears when you cry out. He hears you.
Those That Seek 