God Is Watching Over When We Are Too Troubled To Speak

I love the Psalms because they articulate so well every human emotion and pain that can be felt. In Psalm 77, the writer, Asaph, is recorded as saying this: “I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and my soul refused to be comforted… You kept my eyes from closing, I was too troubled to speak.”

Have you ever felt this way? I have, and it is a distressful place to be, feeling that one has been forsaken by God, and your spirit is even too troubled to speak. Maybe it is upon remembering some sin that has not been dealt with, or a way in which you have offended someone and brought distance to a relationship, or just an emptiness of the soul which brings anxiety, but it is ephemeral, and can’t be readily described.

It would be disastrous if there were no way out of such a situation, but thanks to Asaph, in Psalm 77, he continues his musings by reminding himself of the “former years,” the times when God was demonstrating His goodness, and performing miracles for the good of His people. His heart then begins to ask if the Lord has changed. Has He rejected His people? Will He never show His favor again? Has His unfailing love vanished forever? Have His promises failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? In His anger, has He withheld His compassion?

He then appeals to God by declaring that he will remember the deeds of the Lord and the years of His care and redemption. He calls to mind the miracles He has performed and His mighty power displayed in nature and in leading His people. And as Asaph turns His eyes to God to remember these great works that God did in the past, his perspective changes. He moves from despair to faith; from desolation to hope; from a focus on pain, alienation, and chaos to peace.

We have the challenge today to do the same; to move our emotional and spiritual focus from the problems to the Lord Himself. We can remind ourselves of all the great works of the Lord recorded throughout the Word of God, and of what we ourselves have experienced of His tender, loving care in the past. And as we do that, we also move from despair to hope.

The beauty of all of this is that during our pain and tribulation, the Lord is always watching over us. He never changes. He is real and He is present, even though we may not feel those truths at any given moment. He never takes His eyes from us as His children. His watchfulness is eternal. Glory to God!

By Mary Fawcett