In my personal Bible reading, I just read through Psalm 77. The Psalms are often a bit of whiplash to read. Unlike the histories, the gospels, or the letters, the psalms read with emotional overwhelm. They’re not thought-out philosophies, they are deep outpourings of human emotion that often hit a little closer to home than I would like. Some are dripping with joy and praise. Some are mired down with despair and longing. Some are both at the same time. The psalms are emotional, pure and simple.
Psalm 77, credited to Asaph, is one of those psalms that works in both extremes. Asaph wastes absolutely no time in letting everyone know exactly how upset he is. He opens with the words “I cry out to God; yes, I shout. Oh, that God would listen to me! When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted. I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help.” (Psalm 77:1-3)
Clearly, Asaph is not ok.
And we’ve all been here. We all know what it’s like to hurt this way. Maybe we don’t word it like this, but we’ve all felt pain, heartache, and longing. We know what it’s like to hurt so badly that you’re left in g shouting for an answer because you just don’t know what to think anymore.
There are things I long for. Things I deeply desire that I just don’t seem to get and the lack of them hurts. I get why the psalmist has more questions than answers. I’ve been there. I am there. I look at Asaph’s opening laments and see myself on my lowest days.
But this is where psalm 77 takes a turn. In the midst of all this confusion, fear, and heartache, Asaph’s writing almost takes a deep breath and the tone changes. There is actually an interlude stated right there in the psalm. A designated space before the psalm goes on in a completely different direction. Asaph takes a deep breathe, wipes the tears from his eyes, and starts again.
“And I said, “This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.” But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works. O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations. By your strong arm, you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Interlude When the Red Sea saw you, O God, its waters looked and trembled! The sea quaked to its very depths. The clouds poured down rain; the thunder rumbled in the sky. Your arrows of lightning flashed. Your thunder roared from the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world! The earth trembled and shook. Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters— a pathway no one knew was there! You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.”
Asaph is not ok, but he knows exactly what to do.
This. This is what we do when we feel lost in our sorrows and like He is distant. We remind ourselves of who he is and what he’s done. We cry out to God with all of our hurt and our honesty because he can take it, but we remind ourselves exactly who that God is that we are crying out to. We remind ourselves how many times he’s seen us through and how capable he is. Even if we don’t feel like we believe it in the moment, we tell ourselves that God is in control until we can breathe a little easier again.
Now, understand this. You might remind yourself of all God’s goodness and still feel your pain just as acutely. Some people have their moment of looking to God’s goodness and experience deep relief from their pain. Good! I’m glad! But what about the rest of us?
The reality of pain and suffering in this world is that the things that hurt do exactly that: hurt. Sometimes we take this time to remember all God’s goodness and the hurt keeps on hurting. That doesn’t mean you did it wrong and it definitely doesn’t mean you’re “not believing hard enough”. The point is not pain relief but endurance. We remember God’s goodness and what he’s done not to magic away our suffering but to renew our resolve to endure it. If pain relief comes with the territory, great! But that’s a side effect. The goal is a deepened resolve to follow God no matter the cost.
Because when we are resolved to follow God no matter what, we find a different kind of pain relief than the ache disappearing. The ache remains, but our endurance helps us look farther than just the pain itself. And when we’re looking up and ahead, we see so much more of what God’s doing than the pains that follow us in this life.
So Christian, cry, scream, wail, but look up again and remind yourself who your God is and the plans he has for you. Drink in hope, and endure the pain. It will not be forever.
Let’s find some joy,
A
Avalon Robinson Author 