Psalms 77:7-15 (NKJV)
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,
We all face “night” times in our lives. Times of anxiety, pain, fear, sorrow, stress, and discouragement. Christians are not exempt. We, too, have these dark and often lonely times in our lives as well. The Bible gives us wisdom for when life’s struggles come our way. I have found Psalms to be a valuable resource of strength and direction during my nighttimes. One example is found in Psalms 77. I recommend reading the complete chapter. In this article, however, we are going to deal specifically with verses 7-15.
In Psalms 77:7-9, we are confronted with a series of rhetorical questions. The Psalmist is not presenting these inquiries as a means of gaining information for himself. No, he is attempting to prod his readers to stop, in the midst of their time of adversity, and think. Go back and read those three verses again. Take some time to think about what the real questions are. Then, answer them.
After asking his questions, the writer then gives us another piece of sound advice (Psalms 77: 10-15). After you take a little time to silence the noise of all that is going on all around you, take time to remember. Remember what God’s Word says about Him. Recall the times, that you know about. Times when YOU have seen the powerful and miraculous hand of God work in your life and the lives of others.
Read verse 12 one more time. “I will also meditate” (think deeply) about what you [God] have already done. “And, [I] will talk of Your deeds.” Adhering to these little tidbits of admonition are of so much more value than wasting our time and energy on negative thoughts and conversations that only tear up our minds and destroy our faith.
Throughout the Bible, we are encouraged to remember what the Lord has done. This is especially true when we are faced with an unexpected challenge or during a time of trial, or when our physical or emotional health is wavering. Please remember, you can draw strength from the memory of past battles won through the power of our God!!
-G. Alfter
WordfortheWay.com 