Culturally Irrelevant

That’s the phrase in my study Bible’s commentary to describe what Asaph was struggling with in Psalm 77. Ever been there? I am.

“Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion? Selah.”

Let’s Selah with Asaph for a second. I know the theology about God’s faithfulness, his never-leave-or-forsake nature. But what about when the overwhelming evidence of the situation screams out against what He said? Did I really hear God? Has He changed His mind? Did I make some mistake, or did He decide to move on? Is He angry, frustrated, disappointed? Will He hear if I pour out my weakness, my insecurities? What is this bewildering inactivity around me? I hear Him behind me, but when I turn around, it seems He has gone. Where are you, God?

“Then I thought, ‘To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High.’ I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.”

Thanks for reeling me in, Asaph. That was a long drop off the edge of that cliff. I will remember the deeds of YHWH, the Ancient of Days, I AM WHO I AM, who I said I will be I will be, the same yesterday, today and forever. I will remember how you gave this premature newborn life after 10 days hooked up in ICU, how you pulled him out of deep waters 3 times and saved him from drowning, how you saved him from 25 years of paralyzing night terrors, how you gave him a woman he didn’t deserve, how you forgave him of religious pride and filled him with Your Spirit and gave him a place in the body. I will remember and never forget.

“Your path led through the sea, Your way through the mighty waters, though Your footprints were not seen.”

What a profound and mysterious statement. The God of all creation passes through the churning sea and heaps up millions and millions of gallons of water, yet He leaves no trace, no footprint, nothing natural by which to distinguish His passing. How is this possible? It is the faith of the righteous, the patient, the trusting, who discern Him. The wicked see nothing. They hear God’s voice from heaven and say “It thundered.”

“As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till He shows us His mercy.”

Selah