The Joy of Glory

Psalm 77 (click here)
Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time?

Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.

Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen. (Psalm 77:8, 10-12 and 19)

Reflection
Power.

Our God has all-power.

This is one of the most basic truths of Scripture, and a truth that every believer is taught very early on in their faith. Yet…it is one of the truths we wrestle with more than any other.

All of us go through deep, dark waters in our lifetime. The deep, dark sea is actually an image of evil throughout Scripture, for in the ancient mind it represented all that was uncertain and uncontrollable. In a moments notice, the calm sea could erupt in rage, sink ships, destroy homes, and claim lives.

When the winds and waves of life crash down around us and upon us it can cause us to call into question the omnipotence of God. Is he really all-powerful?…because the storm seems much more powerful than he.

Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time?

It is in such a moment that the Psalmist forces himself to remember…remember all that God has done in power and might for his people. He calls to mind the mighty deeds of God, specifically how he saved his people from slavery in Egypt and led them out through the Red Sea.

God split those waters in two! The very thing that symbolized chaos and evil, God split it and led his people through it. His path was through the sea… “yet,” says the Psalmist, “your footprints were unseen.”

Even amidst the deep, dark waters of the sea…God is still leading, still in control, still all-powerful…even when evidence of him is nowhere to be seen.

This is a truth that all too often can only be seen when looking backwards. So…when we find ourselves in a place similar to the Psalmist…when all hope seems lost…we look back upon dark times when God has subsequently proven himself to be present and powerful.

We look back to the past so that we may be able to stand in the present…even though we cannot see God powerfully at work.

We look back so that we may presently believe our God does indeed have all-power…he is indeed with us…and we know that in the end we will clearly see…he has always been for us.

*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.