INTRODUCTION
Opening Statement: Can you believe that the beginning of another school year is just around the corner? For some, it’s already begun. Where has another summer gone so quickly? My kids have often reminded me in the last few days that school is only a week away and their feelings of discouragement are evident on their faces.
Connection: Discouragement is the common cold of emotions. Eventually it affects us all. Elijah, God’s iron man of the Old Testament became so discouraged that he sat down under a juniper tree and prayed to die. According to Mark 8:12, even Jesus himself often “sighed” deep within his spirit. Paul had so many difficult experiences in Asia that according to 2 Corinthians 1:8 he, “despaired even of life.”
Illustration: One pastor has noted that many of the world’s and the church’s greatest leaders have been given to despair. Winston Churchill confessed that he was often, “hounded by the black dog of despair.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon, one of the greatest preachers since the Apostle Paul fought continually bouts of depression as a result of gout that finally killed him at age 58.
Transition: If you are discouraged in your life it may help to know that the Psalmist understood and wrote about it in Psalm 77.
Title: Life Lessons for Those who Want to Move from Despair to Peace (The Psalmist shows us how to do it)
Text: Psalm 77
Background: Psalm 77 is a Psalm that helps all of us regain perspective on life by offering to us some life lessons that reestablish our spiritual and mental equilibrium. These lessons come from Asaph, one of King David’s choir directors. After reading this psalm, I’m convinced that Asaph, the choir-director, could have also easily been Asaph, the pastor who had learned to overcome discouragement. This Psalm was more than likely set to music and used in the Temple worship services.
Observation: The man we meet in this Psalm bore all the marks that would today be diagnosed as depression. He was looking at life through dark colored glasses. He felt forgotten and forsaken by God. He couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t articulate his thoughts because of emotional exhaustion. He was tired all the time. He lived in the past longing for a day that had passed by. He remembered when he was happy and had a song in his heart, but no more, and he couldn’t seem to get back there no matter how hard he tried.
Key Word: One author, Chip Ingram, has noted SIX LIFE LESSONS from this Psalm.
Recitation:
1
My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will hear me.
2
In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
In the night my hand was stretched out without weariness;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3
When I remember God, then I am disturbed;
When I sigh, then my spirit grows faint. Selah.
4
You have held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5
I have considered the days of old,
The years of long ago.
6
I will remember my song in the night;
I will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit ponders:
7
Will the Lord reject forever?
And will He never be favorable again?
8
Has His lovingkindness ceased forever?
Has His promise come to an end forever?
9
Has God forgotten to be gracious,
Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah.
10
Then I said, " It is my grief,
That the right hand of the Most High has changed."
11
I shall remember the deeds of the LORD;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12
I will meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.
13
Your way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?
14
You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your strength among the peoples.
15
You have by Your power redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
16
The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The deeps also trembled.
17
The clouds poured out water;
The skies gave forth a sound;
Your arrows flashed here and there.
18
The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
19
Your way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints may not be known.
20
You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
OUTLINE
Life Lesson One: Cry Out to God
Recitation:
1
My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will hear me.
2
In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
In the night my hand was stretched out without weariness;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3
When I remember God, then I am disturbed;
When I sigh, then my spirit grows faint. Selah.
4
You have held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
Exposition: The Psalmist is saying, “God, I’m hurting down here. I’m confused. I’m not sure that I’m doing life right. How about some help, God?”
Explanation: Asaph is validating our hurts here. Sometimes, life can be so confusing and exhausting that we can’t even speak or put thoughts together in a way that makes sense. In those times, cry out to God, even if all you can do is shake your head in bewilderment and shed a few tears.
Illustration: Not long after the Gulf War, real-life hero General Norman Schwarzkopf, the U.S. General appeared on national television in an interview with Barbara Walters. In the course of that conversation, something touched him deeply. The eyes of this career soldier with four stars glazed over and tears formed. Ms. Walters, with well-practiced bluntness, said, “Why, General, aren’t you afraid to cry?” Stormin’ Norman replied without hesitation, “No, Barbara. I’m afraid of a man who won’t cry!”
Application: Perhaps, the greatest thing you can do to get beyond discouragement is to allow yourself to access your emotions. Stop acting so tough. Allow life to soften you, to cause you to act gently, to recognize that you need God.
Life Lesson Two: Recall Past Blessings
Recitation:
4
You have held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5
I have considered the days of old,
The years of long ago.
6
I will remember my song in the night;
I will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit ponders:
Exposition: The Psalmist was so baffled by his situation that he didn’t really even know how to describe his problem. Unable to sleep or focus, the Psalmist came up with an idea, “I believe I’ll take a walk down memory lane. I think I’ll think back to better times. I’ll think about what I do know and have known.” He was able to reflect on his personal history. He began to list some of the best things that had ever happened to him.
Application: For those of you who are discouraged about returning to school and to those of you who are discouraged with life, look back over this past summer and write down every possible past blessing. A month is not enough? Try a year! Recall your blessings and rejoice in them.
Life Lesson Three: Ask God the Hard Questions
Recitation:
7
Will the Lord reject forever?
And will He never be favorable again?
8
Has His lovingkindness ceased forever?
Has His promise come to an end forever?
9
Has God forgotten to be gracious,
Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah.
Exposition: These are some searching questions. Asaph invites us to ask our deepest questions to God. God welcomes it; He doesn’t resent it.
Transition: Verses 1 to 9 are all about the Psalmist and his difficulty. Verses 10 to 20 are all about God and His power. We need to redirect our thoughts in His direction.
Life Lesson Four: Choose to Redirect Your Thoughts
Recitation:
10
Then I said, " It is my grief,
That the right hand of the Most High has changed."
11
I shall remember the deeds of the LORD;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12
I will meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.
Exposition: There’s a sense of resolve in these verses. He’s not merely recalling past blessings. He is resolute. Notice the “I wills…” of the verses. He is determined to lock in on God’s power and blessings and he is going to enjoy those rather than be totally defeated in fear.
Illustration: Many of us know about the Lance Armstrong story. At age 25, he was sidelined by testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. What followed was a very aggressive series of treatments in order to save Lance’s life and also allow him to ride his beloved bicycle again. I like how Bernadine Healy, M.D. assesses this kind of situation in U.S News & World Report: “One cannot underestimate how debilitating cancer and its long months of treatment can be, both physically and mentally. When sturdy muscles melt away and grinding fatigue interferes with everyday tasks, it’s easy to get discouraged, even depressed. But what’s not so obvious is that the body and the mind powerfully benefit from a right attitude. That means no wallowing. The winning mind-set has faith that one can fight off the nasty cancer cells, appreciation of the importance of emotional support, and determination to get back on the bike and win a few Tours, so to speak. Our minds can’t cure cancer, but the right attitude improves our odds.” Healy concludes her article: “In his intimate medical autobiography, It’s Not About the Bike, it’s clear that Lance Armstrong always chose hope.” She quotes him: “Fear should never fully rule the heart, and I decided not to be afraid.”
Explanation: This is what the Psalmist had done. He had a definite resolve to not be afraid because of who God was and the care that God had already provided. He was going to redirect his thoughts and you must do that same.
Life Lesson Five: Magnify God to Diminish Your Problems
Recitation:
13
Your way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?
14
You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your strength among the peoples.
15
You have by Your power redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
16
The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The deeps also trembled.
17
The clouds poured out water;
The skies gave forth a sound;
Your arrows flashed here and there.
18
The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
Exposition: Asaph seems to be describing the entire Exodus experience from the plagues of Egypt, through the Red Sea, meeting with God at Sinai, and to the arrival into the Promised Land. He’s equipping himself to deal with his present circumstances by looking at God’s past victories.
Quotation: Ingram states regarding these verses: “If you hold a problem closely and you focus on that, what do you see? You see everything through the lens of that problem.” The psalmist demonstrated how we can pull back and get perspective in these verses.
Life Lesson Six: Trust God to Be Your Deliverer
Recitation:
19
Your way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints may not be known.
20
You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Exposition: Asaph is referring to one of the greatest acts of God’s delivering power known to Israel. You know the story – the parting of the Red or Reed Sea. They were caught with a sea in front of them and an army behind them. They had no place to go! But God met them in that very spot. God showed up just at the right time.
Question: How many times has God done that for you? Totally hemmed in with no place to turn and God shows up and like a Shepherd, leads you gently out of your quagmire.
Illustration: Have you ever had this kind of an experience? I think it is a rather common one among Christians. Annie Johnson Flint has captured this in a poem that gathers up the challenge of this incident for us. She asks,
Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life
Where, in spite of all you can do,
There is no way out,
There is no way back,
There is no other way but through?
Then wait on the Lord with a trust serene,
Till the night of your fear is gone.
He will send the wind,
He will send the floods.
But He will say to your soul, "Go on."
And His hand will lead you through -- clear through,
Ere the watery wall roll down,
No foe can reach you,
No wave can touch,
No mightiest sea can drown.
The tossing billows may rear their crests,
Their foam at your feet may break.
But over their bed,
You may walk dryshod,
In a path that your Lord will make.
In the morning watch, ’neath the lifted cloud,
You shall see but the Lord alone.
Where He leads you on,
From the place by the sea,
To the land that you have not known.
And your fears shall pass, as your foes have passed.
You shall be no more afraid.
You shall sing His praise
In a better place,
A place that His hand has made.
That is the Red Sea. And perhaps, you are there today.
CONCLUSION
Observation: I had a seminary professor one time that suggested that every Psalm is roughly Messianic. That is, that every Psalm points in some way to the Savior. Psalm 77 is no exception. Jesus is there crying out to God in your behalf (Hebrews). He’s in Gethsemane with you as you face the hardest battles of your life. He’s there walking you through your past blessings. He’s there while you grapple with life’s hard questions and enigmas. He’s there to help you regain equilibrium when chaos has broken loose in your life. He’s there to help take you through the toughest problems. He wants to be Your Deliverer.
Invitation: Why don’t you yield to Him today?
