Tuesday, February 20

Psalm 77

I read in a commentary Psalm 77, which is described as a psalm for the burdened. The psalmist uses words like groan, faint, and troubled. The MSG version reads like this, “I go over the days one by one; I ponder the years gone by. I strum my lute all through the night, wondering how to get my life together.” I’ve been there, in the darkness of the night, wondering, “How can I get my life together?”

Burdened and desperate look different for all of us. Maybe it’s a diagnosis. Maybe it's an unconfessed and repetitive sin. Maybe it’s a wayward child, loss, or a painful marriage. You know exactly what keeps you up at night, groaning- and so does He.

After the Psalmist expresses his deep anguish, he goes on an emotional tangent—questioning God’s faithfulness, His nearness, and even His kindness. Could it be that the silence we often experience as we cry out in desperation is just a Father who is listening intently, making sure that he gets all of the story, and maybe even silently weeping with us?

Jesus sacrificed so it didn’t have to end in groaning; breathe and recount the deeds of the Lord.

Janell Greer