I will remember

I call to remembrance my song in the night;

I meditate within my heart,

And my spirit makes diligent search.

Will the Lord cast off forever?

And will He be favourable no more?

Has His mercy ceased forever?

Has His promise failed forevermore?

Has God forgotten to be gracious?

Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies?

Selah

And I said, “This is my anguish;

But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

I will remember the works of the Lord;

Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. – Psalm 77.6-11

I like the fact that the word of God acknowledges weakness. Here the psalmist is in utter despair, even to the point where he doubts God’s character and He doubts God’s care.

It is easy to be critical of this attitude with words like ‘will the Lord cast off forever?’ and ‘has God forgotten to be gracious?’ and ‘has God let His anger override His tender mercies?’

‘I am in anguish.’

How can someone with faith in God get to this point? How can they be so unspiritual?

We can ask that all we want – but I know me and I suspect that all of us, if we are honest, have been there. God doesn’t always make sense to me. If I am not careful I can wonder what He is doing and how He is doing is and wonder if He even really involved. Things don’t always go the way I think they should.

It happens to the strongest believers.

It is what happens after those doubts that matter.

But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

I will remember the works of the Lord;

Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.

‘I will remember’ the years at God’s right hand, the works of the Lord, and His wonders of old.

Whenever we have doubts about God during our current crisis we ought to look back at what He has done in the past.

If I look back to what God has done in my life in the last 42 years I should have the confidence that He can handle whatever is coming in this year.

So I will choose to remember.