Psalm 77 – God is near no matter what we are going through

Psalm 77 was another Psalm of Asaph written for the choir director. Jeduthun was one of the three choir directors and Asaph specifically addressed this Psalm to him. In this Psalm, the author was speaking on behalf of the nation. This is in essence a national lament. The clue to this Psalm could be found in verses 7-9. Here he asked a series of rhetorical questions signalling they were in some sort of difficulties and God seemed to be absent. They felt lost and out of favor with God. The nation felt the aridness, as if totally devoid of God’s presence. Though we do not have much detail, we can tell that they were feeling uncomfortable. God seemed to be indifferent towards their suffering.  They seemed to have difficulty in understanding why God distanced Himself in the hour that they needed Him most. It must have been a miserable feeling. It underscores for us the fact that no believer, who desires to have an effective and meaningful life, can ever endure for long without God’s presence.  

Verses 1-9 expressed the Psalmist’s lament on behalf of the nation. It paints a picture of the people of God struggling in their circumstance. They cried to God but their voices went unheeded. They spent sleepless nights contemplating their situation to no avail. They had grown weary and discouraged. The hand of the Lord seemed far off. Yet the Psalmist refused to give up. He recalled the days of old and how God had come to their rescue.  There is no opposition that can withstand God’s mighty deliverance. This is illustrated in Exodus. God delivered them from the hand of the Egyptians. In that moment even the forces of nature could not stop God. The seas, waves and winds collaborated with God to bring about the deliverance. Nothing could prevent God’s intervention.  

This Psalm certainly teaches us on how to overcome our gloom and discouragement. There is always a natural tendency to feel that people, and even God, are unconcerned about what we are going through, when we are in the thick of our problems. When we succumb to those thoughts, we are drawn toward being depressive and discouraged. The key to avoid being drawn into despondency is to turn our eyes on Jesus. Learn to shift our focus to God. Recall His past goodness in our life. Know that He is ever so willing to come to our rescue, and He will never leave us to struggle with the sense of defeat. The trouble is this: when we dwell on our struggles we cannot see the way out. But when we focus on God and recall His past goodness, hope is generated and we will be led to offer praise to Him instead. Remember that prayer and praise are the best weapons to overcome tough moments of life. Surrendering and yielding to God are the correct steps to take. Know that God is ever so willing to come to our rescue.