There are times and even seasons when we find ourselves in deep trouble. A trouble that is not normal to everyday life. We all experience things coming out of nowhere that turn out worse than we could ever imagine. The intrusion into our lives affects our soul with deep grief.
Psalm 77, tells us that God will provide comfort during our times of anguish and distress. Knowing that God will be with us during those times, brings hope.
This is where the psalmist finds himself. We do not know the cause of his trouble. But we are told of the profound effect it has on his heart and mind.
No one is immune to their heart being ripped apart through grief. Our need becomes, how do we get through the darkness? The psalmist takes us on his spiritual journey of faith.
Crying Out to God – Psalm 77:1-3
Psalm 77:1-3 BSB; 1 I cried out to God; I cried aloud to God to hear me. 2 In the day of trouble I sought the Lord; through the night my outstretched hands did not grow weary; my soul refused to be comforted. 3 I remembered You, O God, and I groaned; I mused and my spirit grew faint. Selah
There are times when the distress of the circumstance takes over our feelings and our thinking. We lose our peace of mind, making our days and nights filled with prayer.
As our mind struggles to make sense of everything, we are unable to feel comfort. That is, our hearts and minds will not calm down. During this time, all kinds of negative thoughts invade our mind.
We, as believers, are to call out to our heavenly Father without hesitation. Our cry to God contains faith that He hears and will respond.
In Distress and Struggling – Psalm 77:4-6
Psalm 77:4-6 BSB; 4 You have kept my eyes from closing; I am too troubled to speak. 5 I considered the days of old, the years long in the past. 6 At night I remembered my song; in my heart I mused, and my spirit pondered:
Negative thoughts make us struggle even when thinking about God. And, when our hearts are consumed with grief and pain, feeling comforted may elude us.
Finding ourselves trapped with no known way out, that we can see, causes more anxiety. The darkness we find ourselves in brings us to the point where we cannot describe the pain in our soul.
Our nights are sleepless, being filled with prayer. So, when the present hurts too much, we turn our thoughts to good times in the past. But, the reflection of the past brings the need for answers.
Where Is God – Psalm 77:7-9
Psalm 77:7-9 BSB; 7 “Will the Lord spurn us forever and never show His favor again? 8 Is His loving devotion gone forever? Has His promise failed for all time? 9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has His anger shut off His compassion?”
What happened, God, you may ask? As your thoughts overwhelm you, asking questions will help you to reflect on what you are feeling and thinking. Are you asking, Has God, in His anger, “shut off His compassion?” God already knows; so voice your struggle.
Sometimes it might be very challenging to understand that God is the Sovereign of our lives. This means that God allows us to experience times of difficulty, which result in powerfully felt sorrow and anguish. At some point in our anguish, we come to a fork in the road. Will the focus remain on our suffering? Or will we shift our focus from ourselves to God and what we know?
Remembering Who God Is – Psalm 77:10-13
Psalm 77:11-12 BSB; 10 So I said, “I am grieved that the right hand of the Most High has changed.” 11 I will remember the works of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old. 12 I will reflect on all You have done and ponder Your mighty deeds. 13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
We know the outward circumstances brought not only outward distress but also internal darkness in our soul. Not only that, we realize now that the true conflict exists in our minds.
The dark places and painful times in our lives will till the most fertile ground for our spiritual maturity. Our cries start out, God, help me out of this. The prayers are focused on our suffering and heartache. But once we face the hard questions in our minds and truly begin to seek God for Who God is, the focus of it all moves.
Because, God wants us to remember how He has worked in our lives. This is done through His word and our experiences with Him. The turning point comes when we take our present thoughts captive and choose to remember Who God is. As we exercise our faith, the question changes to “What god is so great as our God?”
There is no other God that has done what our God has done for us. We need to know the faithfulness of God.
God Works Wonders & God is the Same God – Psalm 77:14-20
Psalm 77:14-20 BSB; 14 You are the God who works wonders; You display Your strength among the peoples. 15 With power You redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw You, O God; the waters saw You and swirled; even the depths were shaken. 17 The clouds poured down water; the skies resounded with thunder; Your arrows flashed back and forth. 18 Your thunder resounded in the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea, Your way through the mighty waters, but Your footprints were not to be found. 20 You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
God’s power has worked wonders for many of us? His wonders are seen in the past and present. The Psalmist is remembering when God led the Israelites to the shores of the Red Sea. God led them there, knowing Pharaoh and his army were right behind them. They find themselves trapped between the sea and Pharaoh. But God, already had their way out planned. A way no human eye could see or mind could think.
It is here that the people saw the majestic power of their God. God is invisible, but He makes His power very visible. He delivers His people. Therefore, God received all the glory and praise for their deliverance.
Remembering this event caused the psalmist to see God as his Eternal Shepherd. The One whose anger does not last forever (Psalm 103:9). His love for His children is everlasting (Psalm 103:17).
When the eyes of our hearts are opened to see the goodness, mercy, and great love of God, this changes our hearts and our view of Him (Job 42:1-6). Now our eyes see our Good Shepherd, Jesus the Christ, Who gave His life for His own.
Jesus Made The Way For The Father to Comfort Us
Jesus experienced suffering beyond our scope of imagining. A suffering that we will never understand. Before He entered into the darkest time, He prayed to His Father.
John 17:4-5 BSB; I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.
Before Jesus was arrested, the perfect Shepherd cried out to His Father in His darkness (Matthew 26:39,42,44). But there was no comfort for Him that night (Hebrews 5:7-10). And yet, Jesus stayed the course.
Did Jesus finish the work of His Father? Yes. He finished it on the cross (John 19:30).
The precious blood of Christ is the Way to have our souls comforted. Salvation gives us the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. The cross gives us the Truth of eternal life. That is, Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
The unexpected will come to everyone. As children of God, walk through the darkness knowing your heavenly Father wants to comfort you. Allow the focus to be moved from you to Him, believing He cares for you.
God Is Our Comfort & Helps Us During Our Darkest Times
Believers, from baby Christians to the mature in Christ, have personally experienced the supernatural power of God through faith in His Son.
The gospel of Christ is the power of God for salvation, to those who trust in the name of the Son of God. (Romans 1:16). From the moment we repent and receive saving faith, the power of God begins working in us and in our lives (Philippians 2:13).
Ezekiel 11:19 BSB; And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh,
This can mean God will put us in the same position as the psalmist. Are you one of the many who are mentally and emotionally in that place today? The darkness is so thick that it can be felt. We spend sleepless nights praying to God, confident that He listens and will answer. However, the mental and emotional agony presently rules. Because of this, there are no words to describe the deeply felt distress of feeling trapped.
God says to us, keep persevering. That is, exercise your faith, hope, and trust in Me. Look to Me, even though it seems I have hidden Myself from you. Even when your circumstances seem bigger than life itself. The way to exercise our faith is to remember when the invisible God revealed Himself as the almighty, powerful God.
Remember, we were lost until Jesus came to us. We were alone in this world with no God until Christ became our living Shepherd (Ephesians 2:12-13). A love incomprehensible came and laid down His life for His enemies (Romans 5:10).
Our Lord, Savior, and Shepherd lives to pray for us. He is our ever present advocate before His Father. As His sheep, we are held in His hand, never to be removed (John 10:1-18,28; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1).
Those who strive to live a godly life in this ungodly world will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12). When it comes, remember that our heavenly Father helps His children.
Isaiah 26:3 BSB; You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You.
Psalm 9:10 BSB; Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Psalm 56:3 BSB; When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.
Proverbs 29:25 BSB; The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.
FAQ’s
When you are in a dark place you are to pray, stay in the Word of God, and do His will (John 9:31). During this dark place, from experience, people cannot help you. This is between you and God. Remember Matthew 11:28-29.
Helping someone in a dark place can be difficult. We want to avoid hindering them or getting in God’s way. The best thing we can do is pray for them and ask “how can I help you.” Then you are providing them what they truly need.
It means living in sin. Matthew 4:16 BSB; the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
Jesus said He is the light of the world and those who follow Him do not walk in darkness, John 8:12.
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