Notes

On Psalm 77 -- using the Jubilee Tn.

Verse 1
'I cried unto God with my voice ...' and he repeats for emphasis. The result was 'God gave ear unto me.' God is always the 'first-responder' when I call out to God. The One who designed the ear certainly can hear. God is not on some far away cloud disconnected from the plight of humans. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without the watchcare of our tender Father God.

Verse 2
'In the day of my trouble ...' the psalmist says he 'sought the Lord.' Who is this Lord? It was Yahweh -- the great I AM that I AM. I know the Lord now as the Father of my Lord Jesus the Messiah. There are those who think seeking God is a fool's quest. They believe God is a joke, a fairy tale to be told to children. These are those who may like God as long as he stays put within the church and doesn't interfere with their real lives. Certainly, this was not the mindset of David. He refused to be comforted unless God came on the scene. He expresses a desperate longing, yearning, refusal to be comforted by anyone but God. I am not sure if the running sore he mentions is actual or metaphorical. The conclusion is that during his difficult season, David gave himself to seeking the Lord with all of himself.

Verse 3
'I remembered God and cried out ...' I understand what it is to forget God. Forgetting God, calculating without God, allowing God to be edged out of my mind is the definition of a living death. A zombie lifestyle occurs for those who think that God is irrelevant. #Psalms 77:3 [Bible ""https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalms+77&version=JUB""] begins with 'I remembered God' and this remembrance made his voice chime. 'I complained' yes, David complained in front of God and to God's face. This is really the only acceptable complaining. The Lord God understands when we are overwhelmed. There are many things in this life that can be overwhelming. This reality of overwhelming circumstances is the very reason I should be quick to resort to God. God isn't my last resort -- God is my first and foremost thought.

Verse 4
... is a continuation of the psalmist's previous experience. He wet his bed with tears seeking God. He knew that without God's involvement in his affairs, he was sunk. He acknowledges before God that he is broken. This sense of brokenness shut his mouth. This kind of dumb prayer may be the most effective sometimes. Dumb prayer recognizes my own insufficiency even to know what to say.

Verses 5,6
What is the psalmist's mind doing as he seeks God in the night during his season of trouble. He is remembering. He is considering. He calls to remembrance his songs 'of the night.' These are the songs of faith, not of feeling and tremendous circumstances. No. Often the facts of faith run counterclockwise to the so-called 'facts' of our feelings. Our perceptions are deeply flawed unless they are directed to the unseen God whose presence never recedes. David also says here 'I communed with my own heart' and 'my spirit made a diligent search.' What was he seeking for? Or rather, who? Of course, he was seeking God. This reminds me of my own times of being reminded of God. Hebrews 11:6 says God rewards those who diligently seek God. God rewards these with more capacity to enjoy God. God for God's sake is the ultimate reward.

Verse 7-9
David continues his complaint: 'Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favorable no more?' This indicates the David is feeling abandoned again. We all do from time to time, and these dry and barren seasons can test our faith in God. David seems to be in the 'slough of despondency.' He questions God's faithful presence. He suggests the God may be a forgetful old fool. He suggests that God may behave like a curmudgeon -- like a cranky mean old coot. He suggests that God may hold grudges for a long time.

Verse 10
David breaks off from his complaints against God by acknowledging that his perspective of God is his own weakness, not God's. He says 'This is my infirmity ...' This incessant complaining and God-blaming attitude is like an illness. David seems to have worked it out. A new light is dawning upon his mind. 'But I will remember ...' What? The good years of God's right hand (Jesus is always suggested in the mention of the 'Right Hand'). 'The right hand of the Most High' Yes. How very wonderful. The scales are falling off David's eyes that were dulled with bitter complaint. He knows that God never failed. Regardless of appearances, God never once failed him, or anyone who has trusted God.