My Soul Is Troubled
Psalm 77
Introduction:
All of God’s
children go through times of suffering. They have mental and
spiritual trials. Some of these may seem overwhelming. Our spirit
is depressed and our soul is heavy. Life may get us down and we
become discouraged.
This psalm teaches
us that the good man is not exempt from life’s troubles but that the
God of all grace provides a way to lead us out of our troubles.
Body:
I.
Cry Out to God
Psalm 77:1-3
“I cried out to God with my voice – To God with my
voice; And He gave ear to me. In the day of my trouble I sought the
Lord; My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My
soul refused to be comforted; I remembered God, and was troubled; I
complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah”
NKJV
·
The psalmist vocalized his
agony and unburdened his sorrow to God. (Psalm
3:4)
“I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me
from His holy hill. Selah” NKJV
When distressed, pray. Pray
hard, pray in earnest, pray repeatedly. David in
Psalm 3 and Psalm 86
kept asking because he needed an answer. (Psalm
86:1-7)
“Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me; For I am poor
and needy. Preserve my life, for I am holy; You are my God; Save
Your servant who trusts in You! Be merciful to me, O Lord, For I
cry to You all day long. Rejoice the soul of Your servant. For to
You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. For You, Lord, are good, and ready
to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; And attend to the voice of my
supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, For
You will answer me.” NKJV
·
David is brokenhearted; he
feels crushed. His spirit is in anguish. (Psalm
20:1-3)
“May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May
the name of the God of Jacob defend you; May He send you help from
the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion; May He remember all
your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice.” NKJV
·
Job was so deep in despair
and depression; he thought God had hidden His face from him. He did
not feel God’s goodness like in times past. (Job
29:1-3)
“Job further continued his discourse, and said: ‘Oh,
that I were as in months past, As in the days when God watched over
me; When His lamp shone upon my head, And when by His light I walked
through darkness;’ ” NKJV
His spirit was ready to
faint under the pressure of his troubles.
II.
Remember Past Blessings
Psalm 77:4-6
“You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I
cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, The years of
ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night; I
meditate within my heart, And my spirit makes diligent search.” NKJV
·
The psalmist tossed and
turned all night. There was no relief from his worries.
·
As looking through dark
glasses, he saw only the bad. (Psalm
38:3-5)
“There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your
anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin, For my
iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too
heavy for me, My wounds are foul and festering Because of my
foolishness.” NKJV
Maybe his troubles were due
to past sin.
·
He needed to remember the
‘song in the night.’ (Psalm
42:8)
“The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the
daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me – A prayer to
the God of my life.”
(Isaiah
30:29)
“You shall have a song As in the night when a holy
festival is kept, And gladness of heart as when one goes with a
flute, To come into the mountain of the Lord, To the Mighty One of
Israel.” NKJV
III.
Focus Your Thoughts
·
Psalm 77:7-9
“Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable 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” NKJV
Allow yourself to ask difficult questions. Ask God
to help you understand. In difficult times, this is normal. Don’t
think you are the only one who has ever questioned God or had doubts
about his faith. ( Psalm
85:1-7)
“Lord, You have been favorable to Your land; You have
brought back the captivity of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity
of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah You
have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness
of Your anger. Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your
anger toward us to cease. Will you be angry with us forever? Will
You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us
again, That Your people may rejoice In You? Show us Your mercy,
Lord, And grant us Your salvation.” NKJV
·
Psalm 77:10-12
“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. I
will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds.” NKJV
Commit to changing your
thoughts. ( Philippians
4:6-8)
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer
and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known
to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will
guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally,
brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble,
whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things
are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any
virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these
things.” NKJV
Focus on God’s wonders and
mighty deeds. (Psalm
105:5)
“Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His
wonders and the judgments of His mouth,” NKJV
IV.
Trust in God
Psalm 77: 13-20
“Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so
great a God as our God? You are the God who does wonders; You have
declared Your strength among the peoples. You have with Your arm
redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah The
waters saw You, O God; The waters saw You, they were afraid; The
depths also trembled. The clouds poured out water; The skies sent
out a sound; Your arrows also flashed about. The voice of Your
thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled
and shook. Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters,
And Your footsteps were not known. You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.” NKJV
·
Jehovah is not one god among
many, but The God – The one and only God – The Great I Am.
He is God, the Most High – Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.
Examples: Creation, the Flood, plagues in Egypt, manna in the
wilderness Realizing this helps our depression!
·
By His power he redeemed
Israel. (Psalm
72:18-19)
“Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who only
does wondrous things! And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.”
NKJV
·
The psalmist refers to one
of the most memorable acts of God on behalf of His people – the
parting of the Red Sea. People were in dire straits but God led
them out of slavery and delivered them through the waters.
·
God cares for each of us
individually as a shepherd cares for each of his sheep.
·
God’s way is the best way.
“His way is holy, so obey Him. His way is hidden, so trust Him.”
Conclusion:
·
We can feel overwhelmed at
times due to anguish and sorrow. We feel there is ‘no way out.’ We
need to cry out to God, remember the good from our past, focus our
thoughts on the power of God, and then trust in God and His
promises.
·
Lamentations 3:19-24 “Remember my affliction
and roaming, The wormwood and the gall. My soul still remembers And
sinks within me. This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope.
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His
compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your
faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I
hope in Him!’ ”
NKJV
Bobby
Stafford November 8, 2015 [Evening]
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