Psalm 77

1 I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking: 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 commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.
7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?
8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?
9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.
10 And I said, This is my infirmity: 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 thy wonders of old.
12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
14 Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.
15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
16 The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled.
17 The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad.
18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.
19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.
20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Key Verse:
13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

Key Observation:
A Millennial Psalm of deliverance for Israel. A Leviticus Psalm.

Memory Verse:
1 I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.

Devotion:
“They will say, “Where is this coming He promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”. . . The Lord is not slow keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter)

Asaph is the writer again of this psalm. Like Psalm 72, he laments the absence of God, but in this psalm it is not the wicked specifically spoken of. Rather it is the need of Asaph to see and hear his God answering prayer. His prayers, I imagine, may well be against those who are making his life hard, but we are not told specifically. “2In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.” I am not sure this is a real sore; more likely it is a metaphor of a problem that is bothering Asaph, and since he cannot find a solution, he finds himself worrying and tearing at the seemingly unsolvable problem.

Both my wife and I have lived many years and in our work experience both of us have experienced those times when matters at work seem to be beyond our control. My tendency at those times is to rip and tear at the problem at night until my very soul is utterly perplexed and distraught. I try to give the problem to God, but my tries are half-hearted, and if lightening is not immediately forthcoming I take the problem back, thus signaling that I was really not ready to give it to God.

Before I can find deliverance, I have to really give it to God, and leave it to Him to solve. Then, and only then, can I find peace. Let me tell you that there have been a few times in my life when I found it really difficult to give the problem to God, but when I give it to him and wait on Him, it is not long before I see the answers coming forth. Is it not that way with Asaph? He first forces himself to recall the times God has answered: “11I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.” Peace is given to Asaph, and he wonders at the way of the Lord: “19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.” McGee thinks this is a reference to the crossing of the Israelites through the Red Sea, but I am not so sure. I think it is a reference to the mystery of why the world is the way it is. Why evil exists. Why the good does not seem to proper. Why God never seems to intercede and bring righteousness. God's way is in the sea-it is untrackable, and unsearchable, past our knowing. Which is exactly why I began this passage with a quote by Peter. Where is the promise of his coming? ask the doubters.

The faithful know the answer to that. If he had come back in the time that Asaph wished him to, where would you and I be today? The Lord is gracious and longsuffering, not wanting that any should perish. Now is the day of salvation. Now is the time to reason with God, and see what He declares. Now is the time to find mercy and repentance by believing God. I thank God that He has given time, so that I may be, and that I have found grace—because He first found me.

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
calling for you and for me;
see, on the portals he's waiting and watching,
watching for you and for me.

Come home, come home;
ye who are weary come home;
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home!