In dark seasons of the soul the soul cries out with questions. Questions that are often raw (Ps 77:7-8):
- Will the Lord reject forever and never again show favor?
- Has his faithful love ceased forever?
- Is His promise at and end for all generations?
- Has God forgotten to be gracious?
- Has He in anger withheld His compassion?
We all have similar questions when we suffer for long periods of time:
- God, are you there?
- Do you love me?
- Do only others get miracles and not me?
- Am I not pleasing enough for you?
They are not always theologically correct nor should they be so. God is able to handle our raw.
But Asaph, the psalmist, like David, always brought things back around to God. It wasn’t just hurt, be raw, be angry. For Asaph it was be raw but also remember. Remember the things God has done.
“I will remember the LORD’s works; yes, I will remember Your ancient wonders. I will reflect on all You have done and meditate on Your actions” (Ps 77:11-12).
He goes on to remember the great and powerful things the Lord has done, especially in the Exodus from Egypt and crossing the Red Sea.
And sometimes that’s all we need. We need that memory. We need that stake in the ground that says I know that God is good, I know that he is powerful, and I know that he loves no matter if I don’t see it or feel it right now. For the people of ancient Israel that was the crossing of the Red Sea. For us it is the cross. And more. We all have those individual moments of God’s manifest goodness and faithfulness.
Let this song get stuck in your head and let it be an anthem in the night:
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