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Daily Devotion: Psalm 77:1-3 and 9-12

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Psalm 77:1-3  To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of Asaph.   "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."

Psalm 77:9-12     "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."

Do you ever have questions for God? We all do, don't we? Here's the tricky question: Have you ever questioned God?  My first response, and I'm sure your's also, is that I would never question God. I don't ever intend to do that, but there are times in the back recess of my mind that I wonder, "Why did that have to happen?" - Or - "Why did it happen that way?"  If we aren't careful, those type questions can lead to questions such as the Psalmist wrote in today's passage. "Has God forgotten? Is He angry with me? Has He stopped His mercies from flowing to me?" Those type questions lead to others such as, "Where was God when that happened? Why didn't He stop it?" The Psalmist was seeking the Lord in a time of his trouble. He could not let go of whatever it was that bothered him. He refused to be comforted. Maybe he didn't feel himself worthy to be comforted. We don't know exactly what brought the feelings on him, but it led to the questions that were asked in verse 9. "Has God forgotten me?"

You see, he already acknowledged in verse 1 that God "gave ear unto me." He knew God always listens; yet, questions swirled in his head. In order to come to any peace, he had to realize "This is MY infirmity." It wasn't God that had forgotten. Apparently the Psalmist had forgotten that God's mercies are new every morning. His compassions fail  not. Great is the faithfulness of God. How did the writer overcome it? Instead of thinking that God had forgotten, he realized that he was the one who had forgotten the goodness of God. "I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings." Instead of negative thoughts, I will think upon the goodness of God. (When I was early in ministry, a young boy of 12 years old was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. I went to see him in the hospital, wondering what I was going to say to him. When I entered the room, he was sitting  up in bed with pamphlets all around him. He looked at me and grinned and said, "Look at all the things I get to eat!") I had gone in the room thinking of all that I WOULD NOT be able to eat and there he was looking at all the things that were allowed on his new diet. How do you and I overcome those thoughts of dejection and rejection and sadness and loneliness? We must keep our hearts and minds settled on the things of the Lord. God has been so good to me. How could I possibly think He would ever forget me.

The Lord has been so good to me, I want to sing His praise,
I want to glorify His name All my remaining days.

The Lord has been so good to me,
I will on Him depend;
And ev’ry day where e’er I be,
I will His truth defend.

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