Comfort in Trouble from Recalling God’s Mighty Deeds.

For the music director; [a]according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

77 My voice rises to God, and I will (A)cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will listen to me.
In the (B)day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
(C)In the night my (D)hand was stretched out and did not grow weary;
My soul (E)refused to be comforted.
When I remember God, then I am (F)restless;
When I (G)sigh, then (H)my spirit feels weak. Selah
You have held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I (I)cannot speak.
I have considered the (J)days of old,
The years of long ago.
I will remember my (K)song in the night;
I (L)will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit [b]ponders:

Will the Lord (M)reject forever?
And will He (N)never be favorable again?
Has His (O)favor ceased forever?
Has His [c](P)promise come to an end [d]forever?
Has God (Q)forgotten to be gracious,
Or has He in anger [e]withdrawn His (R)compassion? Selah
10 Then I said, “(S)It is my [f]grief,
That the (T)right hand of the Most High has changed.”

11 I shall remember the (U)deeds of [g]the Lord;
I will certainly (V)remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will (W)meditate on all Your work,
And on Your deeds with thanksgiving.
13 Your way, God, is (X)holy;
(Y)What god is great like our God?
14 You are the (Z)God who works wonders;
You have (AA)made known Your strength among the peoples.
15 By Your [h]power You have (AB)redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and (AC)Joseph. Selah

16 The (AD)waters saw You, God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The ocean depths also trembled.
17 The (AE)clouds poured out water;
The skies [i](AF)sounded out;
Your (AG)arrows [j]flashed here and there.
18 The (AH)sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The (AI)lightning lit up the world;
The (AJ)earth trembled and shook.
19 Your (AK)way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints were not known.
20 You (AL)led Your people like a flock
By the hand of (AM)Moses and Aaron.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 77 Title 1 Chr 16:41
  2. Psalm 77:6 Lit searched
  3. Psalm 77:8 Lit word
  4. Psalm 77:8 Lit from generation to generation
  5. Psalm 77:9 Lit shut up
  6. Psalm 77:10 Or infirmity, the years of the right hand of the Most High
  7. Psalm 77:11 Heb Yah
  8. Psalm 77:15 Lit arm
  9. Psalm 77:17 Lit gave a sound
  10. Psalm 77:17 Lit went

Psalm 77

For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of Asaph.

I cry out to God; yes, I shout.
    Oh, that God would listen to me!
When I was in deep trouble,
    I searched for the Lord.
All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,
    but my soul was not comforted.
I think of God, and I moan,
    overwhelmed with longing for his help. Interlude

You don’t let me sleep.
    I am too distressed even to pray!
I think of the good old days,
    long since ended,
when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
    I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
Has the Lord rejected me forever?
    Will he never again be kind to me?
Is his unfailing love gone forever?
    Have his promises permanently failed?
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
    Has he slammed the door on his compassion? Interlude

10 And I said, “This is my fate;
    the Most High has turned his hand against me.”
11 But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
    I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
12 They are constantly in my thoughts.
    I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

13 O God, your ways are holy.
    Is there any god as mighty as you?
14 You are the God of great wonders!
    You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
15 By your strong arm, you redeemed your people,
    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Interlude

16 When the Red Sea[a] saw you, O God,
    its waters looked and trembled!
    The sea quaked to its very depths.
17 The clouds poured down rain;
    the thunder rumbled in the sky.
    Your arrows of lightning flashed.
18 Your thunder roared from the whirlwind;
    the lightning lit up the world!
    The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your road led through the sea,
    your pathway through the mighty waters—
    a pathway no one knew was there!
20 You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep,
    with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.

Footnotes

  1. 77:16 Hebrew the waters.