The Lodestar

Psalm 77 portrays a person in deep distress. Mental agony keeps him awake through the night (77:2, 4), he faints under the weight of his painful thoughts (77:2, 3), and he is troubled by doubts about whether God is still trustworthy (77:7—9).

He has buried himself under a massive pile of doubts. Has God rejected him? Has God ceased to be kind, loving and compassionate? Can I count on God in my present adversity, or should I seek help elsewhere?

The psalmist's emotions resonate with us all. When we face struggles in life and there seems to be no exit in sight, we may doubt God’s integrity and faithfulness. That is natural. But this Psalm does not leave us with doubts. The Psalmist also tells us how he gained his balance when his spirituality tipped towards doubt rather than trust.

The turning point came when he turned his focus to “the years of the right hand of the Most High” (Psa 77:10).

The right hand of the Lord is a symbol of God's militant power. Another Psalmist elaborates: “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly, the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!” (Psa 118:15—16).

The meditation on the “right hand of the Most High” triggers new hope and renewed trust. The dark clouds of doubt give way to a new confidence to adore God: “Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples. You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph” (77:13—15).

When we forget what God has done in the past for us, we tend to doubt God’s faithfulness in the present and future. When we find ourselves in the abyss of depression, remember that God has done great things in our lives as a mighty warrior and can still repeat history.

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