Do You Feel Hopeless Today?
Do you feel like God is nowhere to be found? Do you trust God, but feel like your emotions are two steps behind? If so, this post is for you.
Have you ever looked at difficult circumstances in your life and asked, Where is God?
Psalm 77 starts on a somber note. As The New International Commentary says, “The prayer begins as a prayer for help, then moves to the distress of remembering, then to questions, then back to contemplation. But slowly the thoughts here are transformed from ones of pain to ones of wonder, and finally these thoughts give way to a hymn to the God of creation.”[1]
The psalmist says in verses 1-3, 1 “I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. 2 I sought the Lord in my day of trouble. My hands were continually lifted up all night long; I refused to be comforted. 3 I think of God; I groan; I meditate; my spirit becomes weak.” He goes on to ask in verses 7-9, 7 “Will the Lord reject forever and never again show favor? 8 Has his faithful love ceased forever? Is his promise at an end for all generations? 9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”
It's hard to overstate the depth of these concerns. Notice the definitive language the psalmist uses when he says “forever.” His despair is so great that he feels God has completely abandoned him. This is what loss of perspective does. It moves us from saying “life is bad” to saying “life is hopeless.”
However, as Derek Kidner notes, “verse 10 is the turning point.”[2] For the next three verses, the psalmist shifts his perspective. 10 “So I say, ‘I am grieved that the right hand of the Most High has changed.’ 11 I will remember the Lord’s works; yes, I will remember your ancient wonders. 12 I will reflect on all you have done and meditate on your actions.”
From there, the psalmist goes on to speak to God’s faithfulness. In verses 13-14, he says, 13 “God, your way is holy. What god is great like God? 14 You are the God who works wonders; you revealed your strength among the peoples.” And for the following verses, he worships God for his goodness and recalls the many ways he has been faithful in the past. Only through remembering God’s goodness in the past does he have confidence in the present.
Despite being followers of Christ, there will be times we feel hopeless. We know the reality of Christ’s death and resurrection, but our emotions feel like they’re two steps behind. This causes us to panic and doubt God’s activity.
When these times of hopelessness hit, it’s critical to pause and recall God's goodness. Just as the psalmist in Psalm 77 recalls God’s faithfulness to the children of Israel when they were walking through the Red Sea, we should remember God’s faithfulness in our own lives by verbalizing or writing down ways he has been faithful.
If you feel hopeless today, take a few moments right now, take out a sheet of paper, and start listing the ways God has been faithful to you in the past. Be specific. If possible, list key times and dates. If you can’t remember any, reach out to some of your Christian friends and ask them for ways God has been faithful to them. As you do this, your confidence in God will return, and your perspective will change.
*Unless you specify otherwise, comments and questions you ask may be featured in upcoming podcast episodes.
[1]Nancy Declaissé-Walford, Rolf A. Jacobson, and Beth Laneel Tanner, The Book of Psalms, New International Commentary on the Old Testament. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012), 612.
[2]Derek Kidner, Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 16 of Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. IVP/Accordance electronic ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1975), 308.
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