Ernest Hemingway // Unknown

Psalm 77 ~ Only One Solution Out of Despair

Thursday, April 10, 2025 -- Good morning to our Father God in heaven -- yesterday the verse I was meditating on the sentence that kept sticking is "My soul refused to be comforted." I have been there - how strange that we would refuse comfort and consolation. What stubbornness at times to feel better. I admit a time a few weeks ago, the thought kept coming, "Read your Bible, Read your Bible" and I continued to sit, my Bible on my lap, watching some mindless show -- refusing the comfort the Lord wanted to bring me from His Word. Oh may it never be again! But Praise God when we turn to Him -- He is always there. How kind, how patient, how forgiving and how loving this great God Almighty that made us is! On to verse 3, we read:

When I remember God, then I am disturbed; When I sigh, then my spirit grows faint. Selah.

Oh I talk to a number of women, myself included, when we remember God in our musings -- we are disturbed (disquieted, murmur, groan, rage, be troubled). "God I know You are there why didn't you stop that, help me, do something!" Been there, I have, mine more was, "God why didn't you stop that? Where were you when.....?" You get the idea -- you fill in the blanks with your own trouble. We are troubled by the thought that the Lord didn't step in troubles us by what He allowed in His world with His creature(s) and our circumstance(s). This is where trusting God comes in -- this is not the end. We have to trust that He is Sovereign, Wise and Loving and by what He allowed -- we trust Him that it was the best and most loving thing to do for all and we may not get the answers we want here (Deuteronomy 29:29). We don't understand that a loving Father in heaven deems it best for us not to know! So we trust God in the long hard night. If we don't, like the Psalmist we will sigh and our spirits will grow faint through unbelief that He loves and cares for us, discontent with the people and circumstances in our lives, leading us to be anxious and angry leading us to the pit of self-pity and despair. Oh may we ask to trust the Lord when the Dark Nights comes to trust Him all the more until the sun breaks forth and we walk in the unfolding of His Light (Psalm 119:130).

Wednesday, April 9, 2025 -- Because of days of suffering that the psalmist tells us about -- we know these are days of trouble and he sought the Lord. In the night it sounds like he is having trouble sleeping and that will make any of us pretty weary, very quickly. I don't know about you but when I can't sleep it is because of the old monster -- worry. It comes and instead of us turning it away (we will learn in this Psalm how to turn worry away) we invite it in make tea and scones and entertain it. Worry never comes alone buy brings the worst friends that have some of the darkest imaginations with the worst case scenarios. The Psalmist says in verse 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.

I came upon this article today. As a Biblical counselor, I find it is serious and hard work. People come to counseling in some of the worst times of their lives and need help. I know I cannot fix, but need to point them to the Savior. Often this is daunting -- for all do not want to go there (not only them but us -- we want a quick fix). But there is no quick fix that requires no effort and/or pain. So as I was getting ready to teach Trusting God, I found this article which encouraged my heart. I hope you enjoy it with me and I am praying it edifies you and brings you closer to Jesus. Happy Wednesday.

Don't Worry by David Powlison.

Tuesday, April 8, 2025 -- Days of suffering -- Basic Training to serve in the battle for the Lord Jesus and His saints. The suffering we encounter in the troubles of life is as a soldier who first enlists. They are put through rigorous exercises to build teamwork, resilience that will be needed for the battles ahead and strength with submission to authority. In our times the word suffering has fallen on hard times. We want comfort and ease; we don't like the world suffering much less the experience. Yet this is the way of the Lord our Master and Savior and we are even told in Hebrews 5:8 that Jesus learned obedience by the things that He suffered. How can we expect less?

Psalm 77:1 -- My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud; My voice rises to God, and He will listen to me.

It is an act of faith to TURN TO THE LORD when we are suffering and trust He will listen. Respectfully express your angst to Him. He is listening His Word says so and He does not lie (Hebrews 6:18). There is no one else to go to -- there never really was. When you are His -- trust He is with you in all things to strengthen you for the battle of each day and call upon Him. Let it be our voices today that rise up to Him and cry aloud and trust He will listen as well as He did then. May our dear Father God in heaven forgive us when we wrongly assume that our suffering means He doesn't listen or even worse that He doesn't care (1 Peter 5:7). We merely do not have all the intel needed in our day and time to make that very wrong assumption.

Monday, April 7, 2025 -- Days of inward trouble must be days of turning to Thee especially when we feel you are no where to be found in our life, hearts and mind or worse, in the worst of time, you didn't seem to rescue us. We reached out our hand for help and all seemed dark and empty. I used the word "seemed" because it is an illusion of the grief we feel in our hearts that keeps us in the darkness. YOU ARE THERE. YOU ARE EVERYWHERE AT ONCE IN 100% PRESENCE. Please let me keep seeking until the sun comes out again and the sky is blue and sunny and I know You are there and I am not alone. Please do not let me turn to lesser gods as eating, drinking, cutting, sleeping, forbidden entertainments, inordinate worries, angst, self-pity or even trying to leave earth by my own hand (and many other ways as our hearts our idol makers). Let me keeping asking, seeking and knocking until you answer, reveal and open. Please know if you are in my circle of influence -- I have prayed for you today. Amen.

Source: Psalm 77 ~ Only One Solution Out of Despair