Psalm 77

One of the great pastor-teachers of Westminster Chapel in London, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, wrote a book entitled Spiritual Depression: It’s Causes and Cures.  We highly recommend it as one of the most helpful books ever written aside from the Bible.  It is a thoroughly exegetical (i.e. a deep study of Scripture) consideration of a subject that the Bible actually meets head-on.  The subject of depression is very real to people, and all too often treated with drugs of some sort without ever truly considering the Bible’s provision for a cure.  I mention this book as a further study of the subject that is presented in this Psalm.

Psalm 77 has a simple plan.  In vs1-9 the Psalmist expresses the depth of his discomfort.  In v10 there is a determined commitment by the Psalmist to change his mental focus to the great works of God in the past (vs10-15), especially the great works of God involved at the Red Sea in the time of the Exodus.

·         77:1-9:  One issue in depression is the recognition that our problem is not unique.  We tend to think that no one knows how we feel, how difficult our situation or how impossible the solution to our problem.  This is a denial of God before Whom all things are open and naked and a denial of His word which is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb. 4:12-13).  God fully understands our depression as is seen in these verses.  My soul refused to be comforted (v2).  I am so troubled that I cannot speak (v7).  Has His promise failed forevermore (v8)?  You may be asking questions such as this.  Remember that you are not the first to do so.

·         77:10-20:  The solution to depression is usually not the solving of some problem.  It is rather the determined choice to think differently, to focus on the goodness of God.  Psalm 73:17, Lam. 3:19-21, 2 Cor. 4:16-18 and Col. 3:1-2 are other illustrations of Godly men determining to think differently even though the situation had not changed.  The Psalmist commits himself: I will remember (v10-11), I will meditate on (v12).  And the specific focus, on the time when God led His people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron (v20), is not just a trick to divert attention from the negative.  It is quite relevant.  He remembers that God’s way was in the sea.  God led Israel in a path that put them in an impossible situation, with the impassible sea on one side and the Egyptian army on the other.  And God’s footsteps were not known (v19).  In other words the path was not marked out in advance.  They had to wait until God miraculously gave them a path through the sea.

One thought from God needs to be emphasized for us.  Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary (or in holiness, v13).  God is always leading us in the way that only makes sense when we commune with Him in His sanctuary, the place where He dwells.  We do not need to know the next step.  We need to trust in the One who in His goodness is always leading us in the path of holiness.