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Psalm 77

A good title for this psalm might be, "The History if God's Dealing - the Best Source of Confidence."  The psalm makes it clear that knowing God by knowing His past dealings does indeed produce confidence for the present and future. For us, knowing Him in that way must also come from thorough acquaintance with His Word, and especially with the history of His relationship to His people.  The more you know about that the more you will trust Him.  That was certainly so for the psalmist himself.

For him it was apparently necessary to begin writing the psalm in  a time of despair.  He was so moved by desperation at that particular point that he just had to cry out to the Lord. Very, very simply he poured it out.  He wailed, "My hand was stretched out in the night (to his God) without ceasing; my soul refused to be comforted.  I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed."

In fact, he apparently cried out so intensely that sleep was forgotten.  He says, "You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak."  He spent most or all of the night meditating and calling out to God.  During the hours of darkness he says he "considered the days of old, the years of ancient times . . . and my spirit makes diligent search."  Apparently his habit, when troubled, was careful meditation on what God had done for His people in the past.  So also at this point he tried to find some parallel to the present emergency, some thread of hope as he considers how God revealed His Character in dealing with His people in previous times.  He desperately hoped for a negative answer the question, "Will the Lord cast off forever?  Has His promise failed forevermore?  Has God forgotten to be gracious?  Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies?"  He MUST know, He MUST try to find hope in what he remembers of what God has done.

Slowly, gradually, but definitely, he sees a pattern in God's past deeds.  He sees, first, how great God really is, how great is His power.  He says, "Your way, o God, is in the sanctuary; who is so great a God as our God?  You are the God Who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples.  You have with Your arm redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph."  He remembers how the waters of the Red Sea parted at God's Word, how His people walked through on dry land, how the waters returned again to drown the pursuing Egyptian army.  He says, "Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters. . . You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron."

Such marvelous past deeds reveal the Character of a great and compassionate God, a God Who can and will save His people in the face of seemingly impossible odds.  Such knowledge of God's Character inspires the psalmist to say, "I cried out to God with my voice . . . and He gave ear to me!"

So it should be for us as well.  We too need to remember His deeds of the past - we too should meditate carefully upon His self revelation in His Word, a revelation found in the history of His covenant relationship with His people.  As we do this, as we see His power and unfailing love, we will be consoled, comforted, and emboldened - our trust will grow.  Oh let us turn to His Word and learn about the goodness of our God!

Thank you Al., for this exhortation on Psalm 77

Is there a word left out here?  "He desperately hoped for a negative answer the question, "Will the Lord cast off forever?"

""Your way, o God, is in the sanctuary; who is so great a God as our God? " Should "o" be capitalized?

You're such a gracious editor!  Thanks again!  Fixed (along with a few other minor things as well).