January 18
Reading: Psalm 77
To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
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.
Psalm 77 is another psalm of Asaph, this one according to the melody “Jeduthun.” Again, we do not know the tune. We do, however, know the purpose of this psalm. It is a song for “the day of trouble.” (vs. 2)
We do not know what the particular trouble is, not that it matters. This song is suitable for any trouble, be it sickness, famine, war, or exile. All of these were the common experience of the people of Israel when they sang this song.
Verses 1-3 provide the setting for the rest of the psalm. It is a cry to God in the day of trouble. What does one do when life is full of pain and worry? You cry out to God. When you are weeping and ready to give up, you look to the Lord. This is what God’s people do.
After a pause (Selah) the psalmist speaks directly to God and finds that He is there. But there is no request in this psalm. The believer in God is so troubled that he cannot speak. This condition recalls Romans 8:26.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
So, we remember, meditate, and ponder in our hearts. The spirit prays for us. He leads us through questions, and we have so many questions. (vss. 7-9)
After another pause, the one singing begins to remember God and how he works. God’s way is holy, special, He works wonders, and He redeems His people. (vss. 10-15) Another pause for thought and the psalmist remembers how the Lord led His people out of Egypt. (vss. 16-20)
Is the Lord your Savior? Have you considered that you have to have troubles for saving to be necessary? In order for the Lord to be your Savior you must be in need of saving. And then you need to remember who God is and how He works.