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WHEN REMEMBERING GOD MAKES IT WORSE AND WHEN REMEMBERING GOD MAKES IT BETTER!
PSALM 77

Remembering God Makes it Worse (77:1-9)

When he remembers God it makes it worse (1-4)

• • Do you identify with this?  He cries out to God over and over again, but    there is no answer and it just gets worse.  He thinks about God and it    gets worse!  He could not sleep – thoughts about his concerns go over and    over in his head, even when he does not want to think about them.
• • Counsel with a person in this state does not help.  You can try to convince    them, quote verses to them, and it just makes them feel worse.

He can remember when thinking of God made it better (5,6)

• • He can remember when thinking about God led to songs of praise.
• • A new Christian can remember when he was full of joy and now that joy is    gone and he does not know why.

Will the Lord never be loving and favorable again (7-9)

• • Will God never be merciful and gracious to him again?
• • Will it always be the bleak winter and will spring never come again?
• • The one positive sign is that there is no "I"s.  Look at the "I"s in the    previous verses.  That is why I call this state "narrowItis."

Remembering God Makes it better! (77:10-20)

Hold it!  God has not changed, but just how I feel about Him! (10)
"Then I said, It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed." (NASV)

• • He changes quickly from hopeless despondency to enthusiastic hope.     Why?
• • He realizes that God has not changed, but his mood had caused him to    feel that God has changed.  He suddenly realizes that God is still the    same God that he used to sing praises about!
• • We still deserve God's wrath, but we have received God's grace!

Now, I will remember and meditate on what God has done (11,12)

• • He changes his focus from himself to God and His great works.
• • We can change our moods by changing our focus; particularly when we    focus on the infinite greatness of God!

I will remember once again that you are the great and Holy God who powerfully and miraculously redeemed Israel (13-15)

• • The accounts in the Bible of God's great works are not fantasy accounts;    they are descriptions of what God is able to do.
• • Now, when he thinks of God it gets better!

I will remember the power of your right hand when you parted the Red Sea (16-19)

• • It looked hopeless to the Israelites until they witnessed the power of    God's right hand!
• • It may look hopeless to us now, but God's powerful right hand can change    things at any time!

I will remember the gentleness of your right hand when you lead Israel like a flock of sheep (20)

• • Our God is both Lion and the Lamb; the Judge and the Shepherd.
• • May God lead us from despondency to hope and praise as he led this    psalmist.