Psalm 77

0 To the leader: according to Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A Psalm.
1  I cry aloud to God,
  aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2  In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
  in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
  my soul refuses to be comforted.
3  I think of God, and I moan;
  I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah
4  You keep my eyelids from closing;
  I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5  I consider the days of old,
  and remember the years of long ago.
6  I commune with my heart in the night;
  I meditate and search my spirit:
7  “Will the Lord spurn forever,
  and never again be favorable?
8  Has his steadfast love ceased forever?
  Are his promises at an end for all time?
9  Has God forgotten to be gracious?
  Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah
10  And I say, “It is my grief
  that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11  I will call to mind the deeds of the LORD;
  I will remember your wonders of old.
12  I will meditate on all your work,
  and muse on your mighty deeds.
13  Your way, O God, is holy.
  What god is so great as our God?
14  You are the God who works wonders;
  you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15  With your strong arm you redeemed your people,
  the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16  When the waters saw you, O God,
  when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
  the very deep trembled.
17  The clouds poured out water;
  the skies thundered;
  your arrows flashed on every side.
18  The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
  your lightnings lit up the world;
  the earth trembled and shook.
19  Your way was through the sea,
  your path, through the mighty waters;
  yet your footprints were unseen.
20  You led your people like a flock
  by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Daily Prayer (based on Psalm 77:2a)

O Lord, how easily I forget to seek You, even and especially in "the day of my trouble." My first inclination is to want to fix things. So I seek solutions. Then, if a quick fix isn't forthcoming, I begin to fret, and scheme, and fret some more, and do just about anything I can think of to solve my troubles. Not that solutions are bad, of course. But I have things backwards. Rather than beginning with me, I need to begin with You, Lord. Rather than focusing on my trouble, I need to keep my eyes upon You.

Help me, Gracious God, to seek You first and foremost. May I entrust my challenges to You at the beginning of each day. Help me to continue in that way all day long, trusting You, looking to You for guidance, confident that You are with me.

Postscript

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

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Except for the Scripture text, all material of The Daily Psalm Copyright © 2006 by Mark D. Roberts

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The Scripture text used in The Daily Psalm is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved