Psa 77:1-9 “In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord” – Part 1

Psa 77:1 To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of Asaph. I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.
Psa 77:2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.
Psa 77:3 I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
Psa 77:4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
Psa 77:5 I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.
Psa 77:6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.
Psa 77:7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?
Psa 77:8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?
Psa 77:9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.

As God’s elect we continue to praise Him (Jeduthun^H3038 – Definition: Jeduthun = praising) throughout this life for and through the process (Asaph^H623 – the name of three Israelites) that is unfolding as He drags us unto perfection which comes on the symbolic third day (Joh 6:44, Luk 13:32).

That process is accompanied with judgment and much tribulation (1Pe 4:17, Act 14:22), and yet with Christ as our head we can learn to rejoice in our trials as we become comfortable in the much needed fire that purifies our walk in the Lord through grace and faith by which all men will be saved (Isa 33:14-15).

In tonight’s first part of our two-part study for this 77th Psalm, we will look at how our flesh will naturally cry out during this process that is filled with growing pains or birth pangs (Joh 16:21, Joh 3:3), and how it is through the troublesome times that the mind of Christ is being formed within His body. We have been called and chosen to witness of His great power today, a power that makes it possible to love not our own life even unto death as we die daily in these troublesome times (Dan 9:25, Rev 11:3, Rev 12:11).

Being still, as we discussed in last week’s study, is akin to lying dead in the street of that great city (Rev 11:8, Rom 6:11) and knowing that our power to edify, exhort and comfort one another through the fire (1Co 14:3, Dan 3:25) is a gift given to those who are given to lie still and know they bring nothing to the altar, which is the cross (Joh 15:5).

God likens the elect unto a ‘candle stick’ and an ‘olive tree’ (Rev 11:4) both of which are completely dependent on fuel to survive (Zec 4:12-14, 1Co 3:6). We are glorifying God when we with ‘Christ in us’ bear each other’s burdens and strengthen each other in this life with that fuel which is His word, which is spirit that is able to quicken us (Php 4:13, Joh 6:63).

Our flesh must be mortified in order for the will of God to be accomplished within us (Rom 8:13). That will is being accomplished through this process ‘which’ is glorifying God ‘is, was and will be’ (Php 2:13, 1Jn 2:15-17, 1Pe 4:16, Php 4:13, Php 2:14 ).

[NOTE: We feel quickened by Christ’s body, both by word and deed, thank you Father.]

Do not grow weary in well doing, brethren, because in due season we will reap if we faint not (Gal 6:9). If we grow weary in the positive sense of the word, we will, as we read in Rev 3:8, not deny Christ by keeping his word, but if we forsake His word that quickens us in the midst of our weariness (stop loving in word and deed) and do not keep under ourselves (1Co 9:27) by remaining sober and vigilant at the end of this age (1Pe 5:8), we will stop being ‘still’ [“Selah”], and we will start to actively beat the manservant with our own dead branches and idols of our hearts instead of prophesying unto one another in a spirit of love which we pray God will continue to increase within each of us (Mat 24:49, 1Co 14:1, 1Co 13:2, Rom 1:16, 1Co 2:5).

God brings us into remembrance after we are brought to our wits’ end that He is faithful, and He has purposed to wash our conscience by pruning those dead branches (Rom 6:2). He is merciful to us in this age in advance of the rest of humanity for dealing with us as sons being received (Psa 107:30, Rom 11:28-30, Heb 12:6).

Our heavenly Father never lets us forget that it is the son of God who has been setting us free all along (Joh 8:36), and that Christ is the author and finisher of our faith who God promises through the vine (Christ) that none will be taken out of His hand (Joh 5:30, Joh 18:9).

Without Christ working within us by the holy spirit as our hope of glory (Col 1:27), we would despise the first part of this Psalm (his chastening grace), and the iniquity that He is allowing to grow worse and worse at the end of this age would cause His love to wax cold. This is all part of God’s predestined purpose to show the world that only ‘Christ can be Christ’ and that our discipleship of love toward one another is only possible because of His love being deepened within us (Mat 24:12).

It is therefore with great rejoicing (Php 4:4) that we should see our high calling as we come to appreciate more deeply every day how blessed we are to have His peace that passes all understanding in this evil age in which we live (Php 4:7).

We can get there and are getting there through Christ and His Christ, and next week God willing we will look at the fruit of going through the suffering in this age that is not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us over and over, both in earnest today and ultimately in putting off this corruptible flesh once and for all (Rom 8:18, 2Co 3:18, 1Co 15:53). But first, let’s look at tonight’s verses and the first half of the Psalm!

Psa 77:1 To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of Asaph. I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.
Psa 77:2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.

We cry unto the Lord with “my voice” even unto God with “my voice” twice mentioned to witness that God is witnessing through us that He can and does bring us to cry out with strong tears in our flesh (Heb 5:7, Joh 5:30), and then he will “give ear unto me”.

The “day of my trouble” in the second verse is a type of ‘the day of the Lord’. We are seeking the Lord even while our hand^H3027 is outstretched^H5064 (literal translations of “sore^H3027 ran^H5064“– see Rotherham, YLT, CLV or LITV) in the night, and our own souls[^H5315 = nephesh] refuse to be comforted. This happens to demonstrate that it is only God who can soften or harden the heart of Pharaoh within us.

Exo 9:35 And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.

Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

Only when the Lord grants that growth will our soul take comfort. To take comfort is to not just know that God is greater than our conscience, and that He loves us while we are yet sinners, and is sovereign over this whole growth process, but to actually experience deliverance which can only come after our flesh is out of the way and He has brought us to our wits’ end. We are quiet or ‘still’ only after the tormenting experiences He allows us to go through.

Psa 107:30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

Rev 9:5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

Rev 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

Psa 77:3 I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.

Remembering God in our trouble, complaining and being overwhelmed in our spirit is something that we all live, less and less as God gives us victory over our spirits that are so easily overwhelmed except the Lord delivers us (Mat 26:39-44). Christ is not complaining in the garden because He never sinned and has the spirit without measure to hold him up to never fall at any given time through any given trial. He is troubled however, and crying out, and his flesh is feeling overwhelmed^H5848 as it is being put off.

This is the greatest act and demonstration of both our Father’s love for us and Christ’s love being shed abroad in His heart to demonstrate God’s love for all His creation (Joh 3:16). For Jesus in his flesh, that time of prayer concludes after a process typified by three fervent prayers that he made, which leads to Christ being strengthened by the angel and being able to “be comforted” through the most profound mental anguish and physical pain that is soon to follow.

Mat 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Mat 26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Mat 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Mat 26:43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
Mat 26:44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

2Co 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Psa 77:4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

We can take comfort knowing that God has heard our prayers for our family in Christ. He holds our “eyes^H5869 waking^H8109“.

Even in the midst of severe troubles where we can’t even speak being so heavily burdened, God can and will hold us up (Php 4:13). The use of the word “eyes” and ‘eyelid’ [“waking”], brings to mind what it takes to hold us up in this tender and blessed area of Christ’s body.

Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Mat 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds[your heart] should be corrupted from the simplicity [singleness]^G572 that is in Christ. [having one mind; being in agreement Php 2:2-5].

Php 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Php 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Php 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Psa 77:5 I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.
Psa 77:6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

When we go through severe trials, God brings us to meditate on “ancient times”^H5769 where we remember “my song in the night”, and there we are blessed to “commune with mine own heart” which is blessed to find hope in the Lord which comes after this “diligent search“.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him!
Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

We are left saying ‘it is well with my soul’ (Act 16:22-26, Psa 42:8).

Psa 77:7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?
Psa 77:8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?
Psa 77:9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.

Easiest verse ever to speak on? The answer is NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! So let’s “Selah” or pause and be blessed by the scriptures that confirm that all these “NO’s” are true:

Will the Lord cast off for ever?

Lam 3:31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
Lam 3:32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

Will he be favourable no more?

2Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Is his mercy clean gone for ever?

Psa 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Do his promise fail for evermore?

Jos 21:45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

Has God forgotten to be gracious?

Psa 136:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his gracious love is everlasting.(ISV)

Has he in anger shut up his tender mercies?

Psa 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Jas 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

Next week, Lord willing, we will see how the much tribulation of our life, which is purposed by God, leads us to remember and think and meditate on the works of the Lord, ultimately leading to our great comfort as we’re brought in remembrance of how he makes a way to take us through every trial for which He prepares us.

1Co 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Isa 43:16 Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;