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Comfort in Time of Distress
Psalm 77.1-2 and 11-20
Good News Translation (GNT)
Hebrew Title:
"A psalm by Asaph.
1 I cry aloud to God;
I cry aloud, and he hears me.
2 In times of trouble I pray to the Lord;
all night long I lift my hands in prayer,
but I cannot find comfort.
11 I will remember your great deeds, Lord;
I will recall the wonders you did in the past.
12 I will think about all that you have done;
I will meditate on all your mighty acts.
13 Everything you do, O God, is holy.
No god is as great as you.
14 You are the God who works miracles;
you showed your might among the nations.
15 By your power you saved your people,
the descendants of Jacob and of Joseph.
16 When the waters saw you, O God, they were
afraid,
and the depths of the sea trembled.
17 The clouds poured down rain;
thunder crashed from the sky,
and lightning flashed in all directions.
18 The crash of your thunder rolled out,
and flashes of lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19 You walked through the waves;
you crossed the deep sea,
but your footprints could not be seen.
20 You led your people like a shepherd,
with Moses and Aaron in charge.
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Commentary taken from 'word-on-the-web'
supplied by Scripture Union
Comfort in Time of Distress
Psalm 77.1-2 and 11-20
Why, as Christians, do we think we should pretend that everything is fine when clearly it is not?
The psalmist believed that God had big enough shoulders to carry his burdens.
Sometimes the most profound prayer is simply, 'Help!'.
We can try too hard when we pray.
The psalmist, by his example, gives us permission to tell it as it is.
He has reached the end of his tether and is desperately trying to hang on to his faith.
However, though everything in his circumstances causes him to doubt, he will not let that define him.
The problem is partly physical in that he is not sleeping well.
We often overlook the impact our physical condition can have on our spiritual awareness.
When we are tired then doubts can find a fertile breeding ground.
There is more though to his situation here than simply exhaustion.
We find ourselves drawn into the writer's internal struggle as he seeks to match his doubts with memories of God's faithfulness.
What is fascinating is the way that he refuses simply to see-saw, but rather takes himself in hand.
He steps outside his own experience and recalls the history of God's dealing with his people.
It takes an effort of will to set our own problems against a bigger picture, but this is exactly what he does.
He looks back at God's defining miracle against all the odds in the Exodus, and finds the strength to keep going.
The God who can deliver from the mighty Egyptians can also look after him.
In the same way, for us, the defining miracle of the New Testament is the resurrection.
Against all the odds, God reversed the verdict of the courts and vindicated his Son.
This reminds us that the last and defining word is always with God, whatever the circumstances.
'I believe; help my unbelief!' (Mark 9:24, NRSV).
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