Pouting to Praising

Pouting to Praising (Psalm 77:10-12)

Psalm 77:10-12, “And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. 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.”

The psalm begins with the weeping of a troubled man pleading with God (Psalm 77:1-3). He then continues to mourn and reflect upon himself (Psalm 77:4-9). He then meditates upon God (Psalm 77:10-15). There is no one like him (Psalm 77:13). God is in a class by himself. He worked wonders and redeemed Israel with power (Psalm 77:14-15). He closed the psalm by remembering the victory of the Red Sea (Psalm 77:16). The psalm marks the condition of a backslidden ‘Christian’ as he is convicted and then turns back to fellowship with God.

This psalm describes a person in deep trouble who cried out to God but felt that God was not responding (Psalm 77:7-9). If we find ourselves in a similar situation, we should do as this psalmist did: continue to call on God day and night (Psalm 77:1-2), while remembering all the ways God has shown us His love in the past. Because of what God did for us through His Son, Jesus, we now have the assurance in Romans 8:32, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

The psalmist stopped griping about his troubles and instead glorified the Lord. This produced a much better attitude in the psalmist. We will find relief in our troubles when we give praise to God instead of complaining so much about them. This greatly honors God. The psalmist was going to ponder the works of the Lord instead of his own problems. Notice: "I will remember... I will remember... I will remember... I will meditate... of all thy work, and talk of thy doings". It was God's works and wonders that would fill his mind.

Though he was a mess spiritually, he determined to recall the days when he had been at the right hand of God. The days when he had been right with Him and in close fellowship. When we consider the wonders of God's creation, we can't help but to love Him and respect His power, wisdom, and majesty. He decided to recall and reflect upon all that God had done in years gone by. His mind was drawn to God’s Word and the wonderful testimonies of God’s power.

When we lift our eyes from the pages of Scripture to go about the rest of our lives, it can be difficult to make the transition from past events to present spiritual truth. What does the crossing of the Red Sea, King David running from Saul, or the apostle Paul's struggling with the circumcision group have to do with life in the modern world? Where is God? Our natural spiritual dullness is enhanced because we live in a culture that is committed to living in the absence of God. Even though, in principle, we believe in our Lord Jesus Christ as the Lord of all of life, we can find it difficult to live with His abiding presence. That is why we must not only meditate on Scripture, but we must meditate on life as well. If we look with the eyes of faith and the guidance of the Scriptures, we will discern God's hand guiding, teaching, and shaping us. However, before we can discern His presence in our lives in the present, we need to be able to take a long look at His hand in the past events of our lives. It is a principle of Scripture that we must see the present through the experiences of the past.

We must learn to follow God’s footprints. Where doubts arise during times of distress, reassurance comes during times of remembrance. Without question, strength for the present can sometimes be found in the past. When we are overwhelmed with despair, we need to pause to remember the mighty works God has performed for His people through the ages. These accounts are recorded in Scripture for a specific reason: that we might be encouraged by and through them. Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” We also need to recall God’s faithfulness in our own lives. Remembering past victories gives us hope for our present struggles.

As we prepare to meditate on life, let's look at God's unseen, guiding hand in the life of Joseph (Genesis 37-45). In Genesis 50:20, He endorsed all the painful events of his life to God's hand, which was working for good. Meditating on God's Word is a vital principle for learning the Word and putting it into practice in your life. That should be our ultimate goal when we study the Bible or hear preaching. God will reveal many wonderful truths and practical applications to you if you will ponder the principles of Scripture throughout the day and the night. If you will relish or meditate on God's Word, it will help you to find relief from rut living.

Point to Ponder:
Make a list of major events in your life, both painful and pleasurable.

Questions to Consider:
How do I see God's hand working it all out for my good and for His glory?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, as You lead me each day in my walk with You, show Yourself to me. Let me see Your hand and reflect Romans 8:28. In Jesus name, AMEN.

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