Dr. Mike Jones

SITUATION CRITICAL: BUT NOT HOPELESS [POST COVID-19]

Down through the annals of time when God’s people sought relief from the problems of life, they would immediately turn to the Psalms, because they reflect the experience of men and women in the life of faith. And Psalms has been crowned the most loved of all books of the 
Old Testament.

We’re going to concentrate on Psalms 77 because Asaph [who was King David’s music director] faced the exact same problems that many of us are facing today.

Saints, if we’d all examine our Christian walk, each of us can think back and remember at least one experience of turning to God in a moment of desperate need, praying and asking God to help, and it seemed as through nothing happened; and in desperate situations, when there seem to be no answer, we find ourselves asking WHY? One Bible teacher said, “Doubt flood minds and we wonder what is wrong, either with God or with us.”

Someone amongst us right now may be saying, “That’s me! Dr. Mike, I’ve cried to God for help, but no help is given.” This is the same problem that King Asaph in this Psalm had. The Psalm was written to help people who have cried out to God, but no answer; and it drove him almost to the point of giving up. Then wisdom kicked in, and he realized he had to change and correct his thinking, and it brought him to the place of trust, of peace, and of strength again. Psalm 77 is 
about moving from the place of giving up to receiving God’s peace. Saints, thank God for the people in our lives that come along side to help, but sometimes, their words of comfort don’t seem to hit the spot or solve the problem.

One Bible scholar said, “At times like these, when we are battered and beaten by the storms of life, many turn to the Psalms and read the experiences of men and women of God who have gone through exactly the same struggles and the same pressures. Somehow, this speaks to their need, minister to their hearts, help them to know at least they are not alone in this struggle, that others have had it before them.”

The New Testament helps us to know that what we’re going through, others are experiencing the same problems. Look at 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

Now that we’ve laid the foundation for our study in Psalms 77, let’s look at the first four verses: I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and He gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore rain in the night, and decreased not: my soul refused to be comforted. I remember God and was troubled: complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. Thou holdest mine yes waking: I am so troubled that’ cannot speak.”

These four verses tell us that King Asaph faced a deep and serious problem. When you read the entire Psalm (77), we’re never told what specific trouble or problem that he was facing; but whatever it was, it was severe! Some Bible scholars have speculated what they believe the problem was: Some say, it was some deep disappointment, such as what many of us experience from time to time. Others say, it could be a sorrow that came into his life, or the death of a love one or friend. We really don’t know, so the Psalmist only refers his problem as, “the day of my trouble.”

We see him crying out to God, without stretched hands as in Toda (surrender) Praise. Those of us who have been in a bad place can relate with king Asaph: things get bad; all you can do is throw up your hands-LORD … HELP!

Like us, we try to drown the sorrow in work, pleasures, etc., but the verse says, “… his soul refuses to be comforted.” This means whatever the problem was, it literally hampered him: he can’t even sleep.

I truly love how the scripture doesn’t seek to leave stuff out, so the reader feels good reading it. God tells it like it is! This is why we can feel the pain of King Asaph, because that’s where some of us are now.

Do me a quick favor: Take your mind off this man’s problems and yours, and realize what else we know about him; that he’s a believer in God, that he brought his trouble to God, and last but not least, he knows there is help in God.