OUR MIGHTY GOD IS FAITHFUL!
Opening Prayer
I come to your Word in humility today, Father, acknowledging my weakness, confessing my sin, and trusting in your love. Please meet with me, forgive me, and teach me.
Read PSALM 77
Psalm 77[a]
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.
3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[b]
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7 “Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
13 Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
16 The waters saw you, God,
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
the heavens resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Footnotes
- Psalm 77:1 In Hebrew texts 77:1-20 is numbered 77:2-21.
- Psalm 77:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 9 and 15.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Take some time to recall God’s ‘amazing grace,’ now and throughout history.The words of this song are timely! Perhaps, like the psalmist in verses 7 to 9, you’ve had moments of doubting God, especially when we succumbed to a global pandemic. And yet, as we revisit the past, we see God’s faithfulness time and time again, throughout history and in our own lives too: his miracles, his works, and his mighty deeds (vv. 11, 12). We are reminded that God’s ways are holy and perfect, displaying his power to rescue us.
The reference to the parting of the Red Sea (v. 19) is a reminder of the people of Israel, hotly pursued by the Egyptians they were escaping from, confronted by water, and seemingly trapped. As they reached an apparent dead end after all that they had already been through, I can’t help wondering if they might have thought, ‘Now what?’
‘The God who performs miracles’ (v. 14) provided a way through the sea! What a great illustration of God’s promise in Isaiah 43:2: ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.’ Whatever confronts us, God himself is with us!
Apply
Are there things tempting you to despair? Remember God’s love for you, his faithfulness, and his power.
Closing prayer
Almighty God, thank you that you are always ready and able to come to my aid. Help me to trust you, no matter what you have in store for me.
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