[Psa 88:1-2, 6-7 NKJV] 1 A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath Leannoth.” A Contemplation of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You. 2 Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry. … 6 You have laid me in the lowest pit, In darkness, in the depths. 7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me, And You have afflicted [me] with all Your waves. Selah
PSALM 88:1-2, 6-7
HEMAN PRAYED IN THE DARK
I used to have “Heman” toys growing up, but I doubt that guy was the same Heman as referenced here. This Heman thoughtfully called out to God in the midst of the darkest time of his life. It was so dark, he couldn’t see any light. This is one of the few Psalms that ends without a kick up looking for the LORD to “save the day.” In doing so, he points us to the reality that some of our darkest moments are our longest.
No one wants to be in the darkest moments of their life for long, but sometimes we get stuck there. Sometimes it is circumstances that are well beyond our control. Sometimes it is tough to find a grateful attitude for all the adversity that comes your way. At some point it can feel personal, like perhaps God Himself has aimed the war bow of heaven at you… but Heman for all his woe, still calls out to God in the darkest time of his life.
That I think is what we are to contemplate. That even when our circumstances are beyond our control and comprehension. When we feel affliction from every side. When we don’t know how to breath or which way is up… God is there! He is big enough to hear your woe’s, He can handle your complaints about the calamities in your life.
We learn something about God and Heman in the dark. Heman won’t let go of God because somewhere in the middle of all this chaos, grumbling, and commiserating, Heman knows that God hasn’t let go of him. He may be grieving the loss of those closest to him, but he hasn’t lost God. While that doesn’t take the darkness away, it makes it more barrable to know that despite his silence, God is still there.
PRAYER
Father, You are God alone in the good times and bad. You reign when I see your hand moving so wonderfully among your people and when I struggle in the dark. There are many questions that I have that probably won’t be answered this side of heaven, but there are also many instances where I’ve learned to ask better questions. Thank you for the grace of your presence, may I never take it for granted that you are a God who hears the prayers of his saints, even when they are in the dark! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.
Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore.
PSALM 86:11-12
SINGLE MINDED DEVOTION
When I was in my early twenties I had a friend who had a hard time making up his mind. He liked a girl at college, but he also liked a girl from back home. He led them both on for a while. They both liked him and thought they had a future with him, but when they individually realized he had been seeing the other one they both dropped him. Neither one wanted to share his affections with another.
My friend had issues. He was two timing because he was indecisive. His indecisiveness brought him to a place where he was living a lie trying to carry on two shallow relationships instead of a real committed one. He was divided in his allegiances and because of that he was never really committed to anyone.
In Psalm 86 the psalmist prays, “unite my heart to your name.” He is aware of the two timing nature of his heart. He knows that when he is in a worship service he is all about the LORD, but when the service is over and he walks out into the world he is tempted to wander. So he prays for the Lord to unite his heart.
The Apostle Paul will later write about this spiritual battle that takes place in our hearts: “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Galatians 5:17).
So the psalmist prays in weakness and confidence. In his weakness he calls out for help and in confidence He know the Lord can and will answer. This reminds me of a verse in one of my favorite hymns, “prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love, here is my heart Lord, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.”
My takeaway today was to ask and reflect on the question, “Am I singularity focused on the Lord or do I have a divided heart?”
PRAYER
Father, I confess that far too often my heart is divided. Today I ask along with the Psalmist that you would unite my heart to fear your name. Let me be singularly focused on you. I worship you with my whole heart. Lord keep me from temptation and keep me from idols. Jesus’ Name, Amen.
I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. LORD, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. 2 You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah 3 You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger. 4 Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your anger toward us to cease. 5 Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? 6 Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? 7 Show us Your mercy, LORD, And grant us Your salvation. 8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly. 9 Surely His salvation [is] near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land. 10 Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed. 11 Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven. 12 Yes, the LORD will give [what is] good; And our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps [our] pathway.
PSALM 85:1-13
A PRAYER FOR REVIVAL
This is what we need. We need the Lord! We need to recognize our need for the Lord. We need to see that where we are, is far from heaven. We need to be uncomfortable in a place so filled with sin and wickedness. We need to recognize our need of salvation that doesn’t come through a politician, laws, or congress. We need salvation that doesn’t come from economic systems. We need salvation that doesn’t come from a superior military. We need salvation from our sins and that only comes from the Lord!
We don’t need to pray petty, selfish, and prideful prayers that are so full or ourselves that we can’t clearly see the LORD. We are tired of pastors who limit the grace of God to call out for revival to happen in “their” church, “their” tribe, “their” corner. They must not know how much we all need the forgiveness and grace of God! Their pride of place is a stench on all of us. We desperately need the full repentance of all the people! We desperately need every bible believing, gospel teaching, Lord glorifying church to be awakened and calling lost sinners to repentance!
Oh that we would get on our faces, tear our clothes, fall down, and ask God to awaken his people as only He can! We must not be prideful, lofty, or arrogant in our prayers! We must recognize ourselves as the beggars we are! We must recognize how awful our situation is. We must see an apathetic people and call them to a righteous response to the LORD! We must seek the Lord to work in HIS church!
No more idolatry! No more selfishness! No more pride of place! No more hypocrisy! No more arrogance! No more secret sins! We don’t have time or room for that nonsense! We must seek Jesus!
PRAYER
Father, awaken your people O Lord! We desperately need you in this hour! We need you to awaken slumbering saints and bring dead hearts to life. Our nation needs you to breath revival more than ever! We have heard of how you have moved in the past and we pray that you would move in our generation! Strip us of our pride and anything that keeps us from worshipping you! We are desperate for you to do what only you con do! We long for you! We wait on you! It must be from you! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.
To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. How lovely [is] Your tabernacle, O LORD of hosts! 2 My soul longs, yes, even faints For the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3 Even the sparrow has found a home, And the swallow a nest for herself, Where she may lay her young–[Even] Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God. 4 Blessed [are] those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You. Selah 5 Blessed [is] the man whose strength [is] in You, Whose heart [is] set on pilgrimage. 6 [As they] pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength; [Each one] appears before God in Zion. 8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah 9 O God, behold our shield, And look upon the face of Your anointed. 10 For a day in Your courts [is] better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the LORD God [is] a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good [thing] will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. 12 O LORD of hosts, Blessed [is] the man who trusts in You!
PSALM 84:1-12
SPRINGS IN THE VALLEY OF BACA
We took our family on a road trip last year to see several of the places I remember from my childhood. We traveled from destination to destination until we reached the town where I grew up. Each stop along the way brought us closer to our destination, yet each stop was its own destination. We saw the farm that Walt Disney grew up on, we saw the zoo in Omaha, we won trivia night at Buffalo Wild Wings in Sioux Falls, we crossed the Badlands National Park, saw Mount Rushmore, visited with friends in Wyoming, drove the Bear Tooth Highway, visited Yellowstone, Glacier, and dozens of other little stops along the way. I was encouraged and surprised at how well my family embraced the road trip life.
Our spiritual lives are like a journey traveling from one destination to the next until we enter into glory. We go through various landscapes in our lives. Some of the settings of our journey appear like a flourishing forest filled with life, other moments we travel in life may appear dry, arid, and dare we say lifeless? We may even wonder why we had to go through them. But the Psalmist notes that even in the valley of Baca (an expression for a dry and arid place) that God can cause springs to form and not just springs, rain falls as well (there is more than one way the Lord can bring water to a dry place).
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been through some “dry” places in my life. I’ve found comfort in knowing that they were just stops along the journey and even been surprised at how God has met me in the dry places. Often I don’t even realize just how much he has been working in my life in those moments until I look back with perspective and see that he has refreshed me even in the valley of Baca.
Of course we were never meant to stay in the valley of Baca. We know that one day, for those in Christ, we will reach our final destination and there will be an abundance of everything we need… Jesus Himself in full glory and the world unhindered by sin. See Revelations 22:1-5, “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, [was] the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each [tree] yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree [were] for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name [shall be] on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.”
PRAYER
Father, Thank you for the journey of the Christian life. I am grateful that I never journey alone, but that you are always with me. Even in the hard times, difficult, and dry places, you are there. You provide refreshment for me in every thing I need. I long and look forward to eternity in your unfiltered presence. I am so thankful for the glimpse we get of heaven when your saints gather to praise you on earth! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.
As the fire burns the woods, And as the flame sets the mountains on fire, 15 So pursue them with Your tempest, And frighten them with Your storm. 16 Fill their faces with shame, That they may seek Your name, O LORD. 17 Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; Yes, let them be put to shame and perish, 18 That they may know that You, whose name alone [is] the LORD, [Are] the Most High over all the earth.
PSALM 83:14-18
THE CONVERSION OF MY ENEMIES
The Psalmist prays for His enemies. Most of this prayer is dedicated to their destruction and finding out just how wrong they are to defy the hand of God. He is comfortable asking for their total obliteration. It’s what they deserve. There isn’t a whole lot of hope and compassion to spare on enemies… is there?
Most of this Psalm calls for God to act so that the enemies see God is really who He says He is. He wants them to see just how much they have underestimated God. He wants them to bow a knee. He wants them to see God in all of His glory through justice and wrath. Yet in verse sixteen we get a rare glimpse at compassion in the midst of fiery condemnation. He calls for them to, “seek your name.” He calls for the conversion of his enemies.
It might have seemed impossible for the enemies of Israel in the Old Testament to convert to see the LORD as the one true God, yet here we see that prayer request issued. How awesome is God that he not only has the power to decimate his enemies, but that he has the power to convert them into his friends.
And that is what he has done through Jesus Christ. He has reconciled us to him through the cross. Just Read Romans 5:8-10 – “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
PRAYER
Father, How great you are. While I was a long way off… When I was dead in my trespasses and sin…. When I made myself your enemy… You loved me. Christ died for me. I was redeemed by the blood of the lamb and brought into your family. Thank you that you are the kind of God who transforms enemies into friends even in situations where it seems impossible. Today I lift up those who have made themselves enemies of you by their sin and ask for full and genuine repentance to take place in their lives. I ask for your grace to be poured out and multiplied. Let it go beyond what makes human sense so it is evident that it is a work of You Lord! You are worthy or all praise, honor, and glory. You are worthy of worship! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.
A Psalm of Asaph. God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods. 2 How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah 3 Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4 Deliver the poor and needy; Free [them] from the hand of the wicked. 5 They do not know, nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable. 6 I said, “You [are] gods, And all of you [are] children of the Most High. 7 But you shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes.” 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; For You shall inherit all nations.
PSALM 82:1-8
GOD HEARS THE CRY OF THE OPPRESSED
There are places in the world where those in charge of justice (judges, police officers, politicians, etc.) are not just. They may take bribes. They may extort others. They may turn a blind eye to oppressors. When they do so they leave many people in their wake crying out for justice that they never received. The unjust oppressors may even think of themselves as “gods” because the power they have to decide the fate of others. They may become consumed with power, leverage, and control. They may begin to think, “no one can touch me.” But they are wrong.
God sees everything, even those who pretend to be ‘gods’ and misuse and abuse their power. (Jesus applied this Psalm to the Jewish leaders in John 10:34). Those who have played the part of ‘gods’ but have failed to provide real justice will one day stand before the real judge (Psalm 82:8). God hears the prayers of orphans, widows, and strangers in the land and he will provide justice, even against those who were corrupt in their ruling.
As Christians we should seek to honor God and be just to all. We are called to help those who have real needs. In the west we live in a society that offers many helps to the poor, disadvantaged, and needy, but we still need to be careful that our heart doesn’t become calloused to those in need. If we aren’t careful we will rationalize our way out of helping anyone but ourselves. We should live to see Jesus’ kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven and this includes taking care of the needs of those around us.
The blog article listed below is a good starting place for more resources on this issue.
Father, I live in an industrialized nation. We have many opportunities for which I am grateful. I confess that sometimes it makes it hard to really see the needs around us. We often try to cover, hide, or accuse those who are struggling with real issues of poverty that we don’t understand. Please give me your eyes when it comes to seeing those who have real needs my proximity. Give me wisdom to know how to really help people in vulnerable situations. I know that I was dead in my trespasses and sin before you brought me to life through Jesus Christ. I ask for grace on how to demonstrate your radical generosity in my own life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.
1 To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell [between] the cherubim, shine forth! 2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, Stir up Your strength, And come [and] save us! 3 Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved! 4 O LORD God of hosts, How long will You be angry Against the prayer of Your people? 5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, And given them tears to drink in great measure. 6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors, And our enemies laugh among themselves. 7 Restore us, O God of hosts;Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved! 8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it. 9 You prepared [room] for it, And caused it to take deep root, And it filled the land. 10 The hills were covered with its shadow, And the mighty cedars with its boughs. 11 She sent out her boughs to the Sea, And her branches to the River. 12 Why have You broken down her hedges, So that all who pass by the way pluck her [fruit]? 13 The boar out of the woods uproots it, And the wild beast of the field devours it. 14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine 15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, And the branch [that] You made strong for Yourself. 16 [It is] burned with fire, [it is] cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. 17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man [whom] You made strong for Yourself. 18 Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name. 19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!
PSALM 80:1-19
REVIVE US AGAIN
We have a few trees and plants in our yard that have just run wild. When we moved in we didn’t know anything about them nor about how to care for them so they’re had 5 years to run in their own direction. They were a mess with branches running every which way, bugs, blight, and produced very few flowers or fruit. Our trees and plants were in need of some sort of revival. Leaving them to themselves didn’t provide an abundant carefree existence. It caused them to become eye sores, sickly, and overgrown. The sort of revival these trees/plants needed wouldn’t happen unless someone stepped in to care for them.
This year I did a little research on our trees/ plants, bought a few sharp instruments for cutting, and watched a few pruning masters at work. I stepped in and applied my new found skills on our trees and soon enough they all came roaring back to life in all the right places. (It was interesting to note that at first it looked like I had killed the trees because they were in such a drastic need of pruning, but later in the spring/ summer they all came to full blossom/fruit!)
In the same way the nation of Israel needed revival. It has run too long in it’s own direction! They need the Lord to step in if it will ever flourish again. Asaph calls out to God to send a man who will be that instrument of flourishing. One who God will use to revive a dying people and bring them back to a place of brilliance and worship.
We know that the Son of Man (v. 17) is Jesus! He is the only one who can bring flourishing back to floundering souls. He is the only one who can restore the hope of a broken down nation. He is the only one who can cause hope to shine in the darkest of nights.
Have you run too long in your own direction? Find yourself in need of revival? Come to Jesus today and ask him for revival in your life. Invite him to prune the things that distract you from following Him (Hebrews 12:1), immerse yourself in His word (Psalm 1:2-3), and draw near to God (James 4:8). Go back and do the things you did when you first fell in love with Jesus (Revelation 2:5).
PRAYER
Father, How often like sheep are we prone to run astray and in our own direction. We should know by now that when we run long in our own direction it never leads to true and lasting happiness or flourishing. Sin is always fun for a season, but the longer we live in it the more foul our lives become. We find ourselves in need of you and in constant need of revival. We pray that your hand of grace and mercy would be upon us and that you would call us to repentance. I am thankful that you have promised to never leave nor forsake those who belong to you for we need your constant hand of care. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.
1 A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; Your holy temple they have defiled; They have laid Jerusalem in heaps. 2 The dead bodies of Your servants They have given [as] food for the birds of the heavens, The flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth. 3 Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem, And [there was] no one to bury [them]. 4 We have become a reproach to our neighbors, A scorn and derision to those who are around us. 5 How long, LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire? 6 Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You, And on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name. 7 For they have devoured Jacob, And laid waste his dwelling place. 8 Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us! Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, For we have been brought very low. 9 Help us, O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, For Your name’s sake! 10 Why should the nations say, “Where [is] their God?” Let there be known among the nations in our sight The avenging of the blood of Your servants [which has been] shed. 11 Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power Preserve those who are appointed to die; 12 And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom Their reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord. 13 So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, Will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations.
PSALM 79:1-13
FORGIVE US! WE HAVE GONE SO LONG IN THE WRONG DIRECTION
I picked my mother up from the airport in New Orleans one evening and headed back to Mobile, AL. Somewhere along the way I took a wrong turn, or maybe I didn’t take the right turn, either way the result was that we were traveling north in Mississippi not East like we should have been. My mother was quick to notice that we were headed in the wrong direction, but I was slow to concede that I was off track. It wasn’t until we were well into rural Mississippi that I pulled over to a gas station and asked for directions to Mobile and found out that we had spent serious time and miles going in the wrong direction. In short, it would take a while to get back on track.
On one level I got what I deserved. I was the one who made the decision to press so far in the wrong direction and so I should be the one to repent all those miles… but my mom, as much as she disagreed with my foray into rural Mississippi also paid the price. She knew we were headed in the wrong direction, but she paid the price the same as me because reguardases of who was in control of the vehicle, we were in the same vehicle.
After a series of bad kings, finally there arises a “good” king in Israel. And as he steps up to lead he has to note that the nation has gone so far off track and even though he didn’t lead the nation in sin, he will have to lead the nation in repentance. He wonders though, as much as his heart has been set to do what is right, is it enough? Has the nation already gone too far? So he calls out to God for his mercy.
We live in families and nations. There may be folks who are leading who have brought us far away from God. It wasn’t our choices that brought us collectively there, it was theirs, but because they were in the driver’s seat, they took us for the ride and so we find ourselves repenting of their sin.
PRAYER
Father, I acknowledge that there are many sins that I am guilty of in my own life and I am grateful that you have brought me to repentance on the sins that I own. I also confess that I belong to a country that stands in need of repentance. On one level I know that I’m not in control and I’m not actively in rebellion, but on another level I know that our nation is far from you o Lord and so I confess and repent of the sins of my nation. Only you can heal our wounds. Along with the psalmist I ask, “is it too late? Or is there still time?” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.
7 That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments…
He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He brought in the south wind. 27 He also rained meat on them like the dust, Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas; 28 And He let [them] fall in the midst of their camp, All around their dwellings. 29 So they ate and were well filled, For He gave them their own desire. 30 They were not deprived of their craving; But while their food [was] still in their mouths, 31 The wrath of God came against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down the choice [men] of Israel.
PSALM 78:7, 26-31
GETTING WHAT YOU WANT CAN BE A CURSE
Remember the time when Israel was being set free from slavery and they complained to God that there wasn’t any meat on the menu (Numbers 11)? Then God gave them what they wanted in abundance but it seemed like once they had what they wanted it wasn’t enough and so God’s wrath was kindled against them! Asaph knew that story and he wanted to remind Israel of it in Psalm 78.
Sometimes we want, crave, or desire something more than we desire to obey God. Often what we crave won’t bring us the happiness that we long for, but will bring about hurt and pain. I remember days as a young alcoholic where I envisioned how wonderful life would be if I could just drink all day. Somehow in my brain damaged mind, I pictured the good life as one where I was drunk all the time… Praise God that he didn’t give me the desires of my heart back then!
Adam and Eve so desired the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that they disobeyed God’s command. They got what they wanted, but then they got more than they bargained for and we have been plagued by the curse of sin ever since. God’s commands aren’t burdensome, they are protective. What God has forbidden, he has forbidden for our own good. It’s a curse when we finally grasp the things we think will make us happy apart from God.
Psalm 78 as a whole is the testimony of God’s grace to the nation of Israel. A reminder to parents to not let their children go blindly in to the world pursuing their own sinful desires but to teach the the law of God. The law that is God’s protection and provision. The law that points them to a savior and is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Father, Thank you for your incredible mercy and grace! You have been patient with me. I pray that I would delight myself in you! Guard me from complaining about your provision. Let me rejoice and be thankful for all things that come from your hand. Keep me from pursuing worthless things that do not satisfy. Let me be satisfied in you alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph. I cried out to God with my voice–To God with my voice; And He gave ear to me. 2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My soul refused to be comforted. 3 I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah 4 You hold my eyelids [open]; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. 5 I have considered the days of old, The years of ancient times. 6 I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, And my spirit makes diligent search. 7 Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? 8 Has His mercy ceased forever? Has [His] promise failed forevermore? 9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah 10 And I said, “This [is] my anguish; [But I will remember] the years of the right hand of the Most High.” 11 I will remember the works of the LORD; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. 12 I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds. 13 Your way, O God, [is] in the sanctuary; Who [is] so great a God as [our] God? 14 You [are] the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples. 15 You have with [Your] arm redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah 16 The waters saw You, O God; The waters saw You, they were afraid; The depths also trembled. 17 The clouds poured out water; The skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flashed about. 18 The voice of Your thunder [was] in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook. 19 Your way [was] in the sea, Your path in the great waters, And Your footsteps were not known. 20 You led Your people like a flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
PSALM 77:1-20
PRAYING IN THE DARK
NOTE: I’ve woven today’s prayer in the text of the devotional writing.
When we are born into this world, the very first thing we do is cry. As soon as we breath we are already offering a cry back to our Maker. It is safe to say that perhaps the first emotion we feel in this world is sadness. We are no longer next to the heartbeat of our mothers.
All of us in our lifetimes will experience sadness. There are moments that cause us grief. We feel lost and we feel loss. We feel depression. It is okay to feel sad. It is ok to grieve. It is okay to mourn. Sometimes it is even okay to complain. But We need to be careful how we do that.
In Psalm 77 Asaph shares his lament with us and I believe it offers us a healthy guide to vent our sadness to the Lord. Asaph says he cries out to God, so you know that he is sad. Yet even in his crying, he is confident that God will hear him. He knows that if he pours out his heart to God that God will listen…. But then it doesn’t seem like God is listening.
Have you ever been talking on the phone to someone and the other end is eerily quiet. You might even stop and ask, ”Hey are you there?” This is Asaph while he is talking to God. He is saying, “God I know you are there, but I feel like I’m having a hard time getting through tonight. I wonder if you are hearing me?” He has confidence, but he also has doubts.
Have you ever been so frustrated you didn’t know what to say… So sad, so mad, so upset, so unhappy and words can’t express it. Asaph amps up his search for God in all of this. He rehearses his bible stories. He knows about how God moved in the past. He reminds himself of who God is and how God interacts with his people.
Asaph has trouble sleeping because of the problems in his life, he remembers another time when he had no trouble staying awake, but it was to praise the Lord. God I sang your songs in the night. I didn’t want it to stop. I Didn’t want to let go. He remembers how close he was to the LORD and he is wondering where God is now? THE DOUBT And ANXIETY CREEPs IN. He asks a series of questions. The obvious answer to these questions is no, but this is what bubbles to the surface of his heart as he prays.
Here we might pause and say, “Can you say that to God?” I’d say, “Yes, he can take it.” God is big enough for our doubts and questions. The real problem is when we think these things but never give them a voice. When we struggle like this and never complain, as it were. We hold these thoughts in and only grow bitter and cold.
If we were going to pray behind Asaph here, we might say something like. “God I’m really trying to get to a better place between us. I’m doing the right things. I’m reading my bible. I’m praying. I’m singing songs about you, even when I don’t feel it… and that’s the problem. I don’t feel it. I feel like a phony and a fraud because part of me wonders if you are even listening? I know that in the bible you show up and you perform miracles. I have been close to you before. I thought you’d show up for me here as I’ve seen you show up before. What is wrong? Have you changed? Are you not who you said you are? Is it me? Have I angered you?”
Our personal experiences with God isn’t enough. We must build our prayers and our life on a surer foundation. We must have the word of God. our feelings fade, they betray us. We are not always right in how we feel.
Asaph doesn’t stay content to complain for long. He knows the answers to his questions. He knows that God has not changed. So he goes back and says that he will remember the works of the LORD. He notes specific attributes of God that he continues to see in the scripture. He is reminded that God is holy, God is all powerful, and God redeems his people.
Holy -God is perfect. Morally pure. There is no hint of error in all of his ways.
God is all powerful – There isn’t anything that God can’t do if He determined to do it. God can do what He wants, He is God. He could have done something different.
God redeems – God delivered His people time and time again. He uses the illustration of Jacob and Joseph. Both are men in history of the nation of Israel who found themselves in trouble time and again and the Lord brought them through. He delivered them. He redeemed them…. Maybe too this is where we get a glimpse of Asaph’s trouble. He calls out a father and a son. A father who mourned the loss of his son for decades thinking he was dead (Genesis 37:35).
LORD, I have no course but to consider that you are holy. There is no error in you. You know what you are doing. I must confess that you are all powerful and that you can do what you want. I also know that you are one who redeemed his people. Your heart towards me is one of redemption. So as hard as it is, I defer to you. You know what you are doing even when we cant see it.
Asaph remembers how God delivered Israel from Egypt. Israel didn’t go around the sea. They didn’t go over the sea. They didn’t stay and fight off the enemy. When all was thought to be lost, God took them through the sea! Those who were there could look and see the clouds, they could feel the rain, see the lightning, hear the thunder, anticipate the whirl wind, feel the earth shaking under their feet, and even while they didn’t see God… they knew he was there!
There was another moment like that has come since the time of Asaph. The devil was winning the battle.
Jesus was betrayed by one of his close friends.
The disciples abandoned Him.
The soldiers mocked Him.
Witnesses lied about Him.
They marched Jesus, naked down the streets of Jerusalem.
They beat Him and whipped Him.
They made Him carry a cross.
They hung Him on the cross.
Passers by mocked Him.
Even one of the thieves dying next to Him mocked Him.
They spit on Him.
He was in pain and agony.
Jesus even cried, “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?” from the cross!
It looked like all was lost. It didn’t look like God was working. It didn’t look like God was moving. God couldn’t be seen. God was silent. Heaven was quiet. There wasn’t an answer. Many asked and questioned… God how could you do this? Surely you could stop it? Surely you could do something?
But was God really not there? No wait! He was! He was there all the time! His way was through the cross! Just when we would have been ready to accuse him of abandoning his people he was delivering them.
Even though God wasn’t visibly present he was leading his people like a good shepherd leads his sheep… And this is where it ends! It ends in faith!
Why didn’t Asaph just tell us to have faith? Because faith, real faith, isn’t the kind of thing that is conjured up. It’s the kind of thing that is worked out based on reality. It isn’t a leap in the dark. It’s a leap in the light to greater light. Trust God, because you have good reason.
So how do we pray this psalm now?
We pray… God I don’t know what you are doing? I feel lost. I feel like you are absent. I don’t feel your love right now. I know that you love me. I know that you care. I know that you are often moving in ways that I cannot see or feel. I can’t imagine how you might be working in my life in this moment, but I trust you. In Jesus Name, Amen.
I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.
The Hill House 