For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Psalm 77:1-12

1 I cried out to God for help;
    I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
    at night I stretched out untiring hands,
    and I would not be comforted.

3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
    I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
    I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
    the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
    My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

7 ‘Will the Lord reject for ever?
    Will he never show his favour again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished for ever?
    Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
    Has he in anger withheld his compassion?’

10 Then I thought, ‘To this I will appeal:
    the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.’

A. Find Out:

1. What did the psalmist do? v.1,2
2. So how did he seek to resolve this? v.3-6
3. What were the questions worrying him? v.7-9
4. So how did he seek to reassure himself? v.10-12

B. Think:

1. How do verses 1 & 2 summarise what this psalm is about?
2. How do verses 7 to 9 reveal the heart of the concern?
3. Why do you think the psalmist did what we see in verses 3 to 6 and 10 to 12 ?

C. Comment:

The structure of this psalm is simple and straight forward. Verses 1 & 2 reveal the cry of the psalmist, verses 3 to 6 his starting to reflect on what he has lost, verses 7 to 9, the questions he has, verses 10 to 12 his determination to appeal to what he knows of the Lord through history, and verses 13 to 20, some of that history. In this part we consider only verses 1 to 12.

The depth of emotion felt by the psalmist is revealed in the words, “cried out,” and, “in distress,” and “untiring hands,” and, “refused to be comforted.” (v.1,2) This isn’t a quick ‘flash in the pan’ prayer, this comes out of deep anguish.

As he prays he starts to reflect back on how life had been (v.5) and how he had sung of the Lord in the past (v.6), but all that seems past history. It seems now as if, all that having gone, the Lord has rejected them (v.7), had taken His love away (v.8), and withheld His compassion that He was known for (v.9). It is these things that causes him deep anguish which in turn causes him to pray.

The way he deals with it? He resolves to remind the Lord (implied) of all that He has done with Israel , the incredible things He did for them in the past, perhaps as a means of stirring the Lord to act again on their behalf. Our faith is built in history – the history we have with the Lord, the things He has done for us in the past.

D. Aplication:

1. Is our experience of the Lord as powerful today as it once was?
2. Declare the greatness of the Lord through your testimony.

Passage: Psalm 77:13-20

13 Your ways, God, are holy.
    What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
    you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

16 The waters saw you, God,
    the waters saw you and writhed;
    the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
    the heavens resounded with thunder;
    your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
    your lightning lit up the world;
    the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
    your way through the mighty waters,
    though your footprints were not seen.

20 You led your people like a flock
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

A. Find Out:    

1. How does the psalmist describe the Lord? v.13,14
2. How specifically has He done that? v.15
3. Which of the elements were moved by God? v.16-18
4. What did He do for Israel ? v.19
5. What did He did with them? v.20

B. Think:

1. How would you summarise how God is described?
2. Which particular miracle is remembered?
3. Why, in the light of the first part of the psalm, do you think the psalmist does this?

C. Comment:

In the first part of the psalm the psalmist had been expressing his concerns, wondering if the Lord has rejected them for ever. Obviously they were going through a time of difficulty as a nation and the signs of the Lord’s presence were not there. As the psalmist ponders on this, his mind goes back to what he knows of Israel’s history.

There no other like God (v.13) who performs miracles (v.14), and delivers His people (v.15). It is that compilation of descriptions that must explain what follows for in verses 16 to 18 he speaks of the way the elements rage at the Lord’s instigation, the seas (waters) rising up (v.16), the clouds pouring out rain (v.17), and the earth trembling (v.19). Now all of that could just be general descriptions of the elements being stirred by the Lord, but verse 19 is more specific, speaking of a way though the waters. Now in Israel’s history the only two times they passed through water were when they left Egypt and passed through the Red Sea , and when they entered the Promised Land and passed through the River Jordon.

The picture is clarified by verse 20 where he speaks of Moses and Aaron leading the people, so the descriptions obviously refer to the parting of the Red Sea . Why is he thinking back to this time? Because it was a mighty miracle, God’s means of bringing the people to salvation. Surely He will not waste all that and give up on them now!

D. Application:

1. Hold on to your testimony, what you know God has done for you.
2. Remind yourself of it and let your faith be strengthened today.