Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he slammed the door on his compassion? [Psalm 77:9]
Psalm 77, written by Asaph, begins with a profound expression of anguish. The psalmist has found himself in a terribly difficult and painful situation. He has cried out to God, even shouting and praying all night. When he thinks of God, he moans with unfulfilled longing (77:1-3).
Then Asaph begins to ask questions that are stunning in their honesty:
• “Has the Lord rejected me forever?
• Will he never again be kind to me?
• Is his unfailing love gone forever?
• Have his promises permanently failed?
• Has God forgotten to be gracious?
• Has he slammed the door on his compassion?” (77:7-9).
These six questions all can be answered by the simple word “No.” No, God has not rejected Asaph forever. No, God will not “never be kind” to him again. And so forth and so on. After all, when God revealed his essential nature and hallowed name to Israel, he made it clear that he is “The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness” (Exo 34:6). So why would Asaph wonder if God had forgotten to be gracious? And why would this question show up in the Psalms, the inspired word of God?
Psalm 77 models for us exceptional honesty in prayer. It shows us that God cares about our openness with Him. The Psalms in general, and Psalm 77 in particular, encourage us to pray with “no holds barred.” We don’t have to be afraid of asking God tough questions. In the context of this relationship we will discover, again and again, that God has not forgotten to be gracious. Yes, sometimes His grace seems strangely hidden. But we who know God through Christ can always be sure that nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love and grace.
From “The High Calling Daily Reflection” e-newsletter
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