And I said, “This is my anguish; But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the works of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds. Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God? -Psalm 77:10-13 (NKJV)
The Psalms are so rich in human emotion! I love reading about how David, the Sons of Korah, and in this case, Asaph, process their human emotions and yet stay aligned in their minds and hearts to the truth of who God is and how He will come through for them. There is pure gold in their words and how they describe their journeys.
I believe that the author, Asaph, has given us keys here to maintaining freedom and peace. If you read from the beginning of the passage, Asaph expresses his anguish. He appears to be troubled, overwhelmed and absolutely struggling in his emotions and thoughts. He seems to waiver from verses 1-9 between his emotions and pushing himself to declare the goodness of God. Yet in verse 10, everything changes! I believe that verse 10 is the key for peace.
And I said, “This is my anguish [or infirmity]; But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
But I will remember….. I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds…..this is the key.
Rather than dwelling on what needs to change, or how to NOT feel the depth of pain that he felt, Asaph begin to remember what the Lord had done for him. He did not engage feelings that tried to tell him that something was “wrong” with him, or that things would never change. He was real and raw with his emotions, but he then began to process the truth about who God really is. He remembered what the Lord had done in the past, is capable of doing in the present, and will do in the future.
Asaph then meditated on God’s faithfulness and began to speak it out. He didn’t remember and then file it away in the back of his mind; he meditated upon the truth. He stirred up his faith by remembering and pondering the works of the Lord, and then he began to decree them. He spoke them out, and as he did faith arose because faith comes by hearing. And the end of Psalm 77 is simply Asaph pausing in God’s presence to REMEMBER.
Psalm 77 is such a beautiful way to process our pain and emotions. We need not deny how we feel or what we think, but we need not stay in that place of negativity or pain, either. Freedom and peace will come when we remember, meditate and talk of the faithfulness of our Good Father.
Who is so great a God as our God? – Psalm 77:13
— Mandy Woodhouse
Restored People Community 