If so, you are not unlike the author of Psalm 77. Many of the Psalms were written by King David, but this one is thought to be written by David's Chief Musician, Asaph. Asaph lived in a horrendous time in Israel's history. There is no doubt that he was in great distress. He did not understand why God was not responding to his prayers. He wrote in verses 7- 9
“Will the Lord cast off forever? And will he be favourable no more? Is His mercy clean gone forever? Doth His promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?”
Each one of us has been in a place like this, probably many times. A time when we ask, "What happened, Lord? Where are you?” A trial that we think we cannot bear. We remember God's faithfulness to us in the past and wonder if we will never know that again. Is it all over for me? Will I ever know joy again?
The death of a loved one. A serious diagnosis. A deep disappointment. Even the gradual wearing down of our spirits as we deal with the problems of this world--yet another day. There have been times in my life that I understood why the writer of Psalm 77 asked if God had forgotten to be gracious! But as I read verse 10, he seemed to gain new strength, declaring “BUT I WILL REMEMBER the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.”
What did the psalmist REMEMBER about God? The word “remember” is used often in the Bible. Sometimes I complain that I am losing my memory because I lose keys or forget names, but in the Bible the word “remember” means much more than that. It means to recall, to remember with favor, and to meditate on. Remembering was a part of worship. People in the Old Testament often built memorials to help them remember, as Joshua set up twelve memorial stones by the Jordan River to remind the people that God had kept his promise and brought them into the Promised Land. (Joshua 4:7)
If you know me, you remember certain things about me. My name. Am I quiet? Friendly? If you got to know me better, you might begin to observe my character. Am I honest? Am I kind? Am I loyal? Can you depend on me? What is my personality? If I have written you letters, you know what I have said about myself. What would this writer of Psalms know about God to remember?
Well, God chose to reveal Himself to and through the descendants of Abraham, the Israelite people. He brought them out of slavery in Egypt, gave them the law through Moses and brought them into the Promised Land. Through these events and the written accounts of them, God revealed Himself. He told them His many names. In Bible times, a name was more than a name—it represented the person’s character. It told you something about that person.
The psalmist, the writer of Psalm 77, would remember:
- God’s Word: what God said about Himself through the law and the prophets
- God’s character: what God is like: his faithfulness, His love, His mercy…
- God’s name: He is Jehovah, the one true God, the majestic and all powerful God
- God’s ways: Every story in the Bible teaches us about how God acts.
- God's past acts of faithfulness to us.
What do I remember about God when I am beaten down, disappointed and in despair? I remember that God has always been faithful, not only to those in the Bible but to me personally. I remember that God is good and all powerful. I remember that I can trust Jehovah, the majestic and all powerful God. And when I remember, I praise Him for those things!
I am thankful that when I decide to “remember the Lord” I don’t have to rely on my own memory. Yes, I study the Bible and feed my mind and spirit, but it is the Holy Spirit who brings things to my remembrance. Before Jesus went to heaven, He promised in John 14:26 that the Holy Spirit will “teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you.”
When trials pound you. When pain floods over you. When grief threatens to drown you. When doubt tries to overtake you, REMEMBER THE LORD! Remember: His Word, His character, His name, His ways.
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