Coping With Crisis
How Psalm 77 Speaks to Us
Asaph, the psalmist is really good at expressing his emotions authentically. He's so honest with himself and God, it's easy for us to share his moments of distress as we relate to him.
Sharing How You Feel With God is Not Sin
Psalm 77 opens with Asaph's complaint before God. He fears God has left the scene, and becomes fearful, anxious, and hopeless. Asaph remembers when times were better and wishes for the good ol' days.
Before he drifts into a full-fledged panic attack, however, Asaph stops himself and remembers who God is and what He's like. He recounts one of God's mighty acts, reminding himself of God's power to deliver.
Asaph's Connection With God is Strengthened, Not Weakened
What's fascinating to me is that Asaph is able to visualize God's deliverance of Israel, adding details to the Exodus 14 event that could only come from the Holy Spirit's revelation. Asaph tells us what it was like to be there, as an Israelite, watching God's mighty work. He describes
Wait a Second – This Sounds Familiar!
Do you remember a desperate time (maybe it's now!) when you cried out to God for what seemed like an interminable length of time?
Do you remember how you felt that a storm was tearing you apart, only to find that God was clearing a path for you?
Shaken To the Core
My "Red Sea" moment (which was actually a period of time) felt just like a violent storm. I often quoted Psalm 46:1-3 aloud to myself, even shouting it sometimes! My world was shaken by a mighty earthquake; my "mountains" (everything that had been stable in my life) were being thrown into the sea; the sea itself was roaring and foaming.
Divine Deliverance
Just like Asaph describes in Psalm 77:20, God my shepherd gently led me, like a lamb, right through the middle of the sea He had parted, along a new road He designed for me. He accomplished His purpose in me: He built my faith, He drew me closer to Himself, and He set a precedent for future deliverance.
Because of my "Red Sea" experience, I have a memory of God's deliverance to point back to when I'm in distress. And even before my own life upheaval, God's Word pointed me to the character of God as Rescuer so I could stake my faith on what He had already done for others. God is consistent. He never changes (Mal. 3:6, James 1:17). What He has done for His children before, He continues to do for His children now, with our cooperation.
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©2022 Julianne Knapp. First Published 11.22.22
Asaph, the psalmist is really good at expressing his emotions authentically. He's so honest with himself and God, it's easy for us to share his moments of distress as we relate to him.
Sharing How You Feel With God is Not Sin
Psalm 77 opens with Asaph's complaint before God. He fears God has left the scene, and becomes fearful, anxious, and hopeless. Asaph remembers when times were better and wishes for the good ol' days.
Before he drifts into a full-fledged panic attack, however, Asaph stops himself and remembers who God is and what He's like. He recounts one of God's mighty acts, reminding himself of God's power to deliver.
Asaph's Connection With God is Strengthened, Not Weakened
What's fascinating to me is that Asaph is able to visualize God's deliverance of Israel, adding details to the Exodus 14 event that could only come from the Holy Spirit's revelation. Asaph tells us what it was like to be there, as an Israelite, watching God's mighty work. He describes
- choppy, agitated waters
- a deluge of rain
- thunder
- lightning
- a whirlwind storm
- an earthquake
- a new road that no one had ever seen before
Wait a Second – This Sounds Familiar!
Do you remember a desperate time (maybe it's now!) when you cried out to God for what seemed like an interminable length of time?
Do you remember how you felt that a storm was tearing you apart, only to find that God was clearing a path for you?
Shaken To the Core
My "Red Sea" moment (which was actually a period of time) felt just like a violent storm. I often quoted Psalm 46:1-3 aloud to myself, even shouting it sometimes! My world was shaken by a mighty earthquake; my "mountains" (everything that had been stable in my life) were being thrown into the sea; the sea itself was roaring and foaming.
Divine Deliverance
Just like Asaph describes in Psalm 77:20, God my shepherd gently led me, like a lamb, right through the middle of the sea He had parted, along a new road He designed for me. He accomplished His purpose in me: He built my faith, He drew me closer to Himself, and He set a precedent for future deliverance.
Because of my "Red Sea" experience, I have a memory of God's deliverance to point back to when I'm in distress. And even before my own life upheaval, God's Word pointed me to the character of God as Rescuer so I could stake my faith on what He had already done for others. God is consistent. He never changes (Mal. 3:6, James 1:17). What He has done for His children before, He continues to do for His children now, with our cooperation.
Subscribe to free weekly articles in your inbox HERE; your information will never be shared. :-)
©2022 Julianne Knapp. First Published 11.22.22