Repeat Psalm 73:28 three times from memory. Pray and ask God for understanding as you
study Psalm 77. This Psalm should
encourage you as you read it.
The title of Psalm 77 tells us it is another Psalm of
Asaph. It is for the music director, for
Jeduthun. We see in I Chronicles
16:37-42 that Jeduthun was a contemporary of Asaph. He was chosen, among others, to give thanks
to the Lord. Along with Heman, he was a
musician responsible for sounding the trumpets and cymbals and for playing the
other instruments for sacred song. We
also learn, in I Chronicles 25:1-3, that he prophesied accompanied by harps,
lyres and cymbals.
Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the direct supervision
of King David with their sons serving directly under them. They were all present when the ark of God was
brought to the Temple (II Chronicles 5:12).
Psalms 39 and 62, written by King David, also were for Jeduthun. This Psalm uses rhyming text. See if you can recognize it as you read.
Asaph begins with nine verses describing a sleepless night
where he is full of anxiety and despair.
In verse 5, he remembers the years of long ago and then in verse 7, he
wonders if the Lord will ever show His favor again (see Psalm 85:102). Asaph was in a very troubled state yet he
offers no reasons for it. Have you ever
felt this way, wondering if God has forgotten you? Luckily, he cried out to God in his distress.
Verses 10-12 tell us Asaph’s 3-step plan to fight the
anxious sleeplessness. First, he will
remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. Discover some of the things we know about
God’s right hand (see Exodus 15:6, 3:20, Psalm 16:8). Second, he will remember the deeds (NIV) or
works (KJV) of the Lord and His wonders (KJV) or miracles (NIV). Third, he will meditate on those works and
consider all the Lord’s deeds. Write
verse 11 in your journal.
These first twelve verses are full of personal pronouns (I,
my). Count them. This was a very personal experience for
Asaph. Why might he be sharing it with
one of his fellow musicians in a song?
The remaining verses are worshipful, recounting God’s works
or deeds. Compare Asaph’s adoration in light
of the attributes of God described in Moses’ song in Exodus 15:11. Stop now and worship God for these character
traits. Praise Him for any of His
miracles that He brings to mind as you pray.
Verse 15 tells us that God redeemed His people, the
descendants of Jacob and Joseph. We know
that the descendants of Jacob (Joseph was his son) became slaves in Egypt. God delivered them out of Egypt with Moses as
their leader. Read Exodus 14 to learn
about how God defeated the Egyptian army that chased and pursued them. Compare verses 16-20 to the Song of Moses in
Exodus 15:1-18.
Has God ever miraculously met your needs? Think about a time when God has been
particularly good to you. You may not
have written a song or poem about it, but did you share God’s goodness with
someone else as a testimony or encouragement?
Do you look back on this in anxious circumstances?
Responding to God: Ask God to bring to mind situations when He
has provided for your needs or rescued you in difficult circumstances. Thank Him for these times and ask Him to
forgive times when you forgot to trust Him.
Make a commitment to share God’s goodness to you with someone today.
Reread this Psalm as a tribute to God’s miracles. Record in your journal ways that God has
spoken to you today.
Further Research: If you want to learn more about how God’s
people became slaves in Egypt, read Genesis 37-50. To learn more about how God delivered His
people from Egypt, read Exodus 3-12.
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