When Waiting On God

This morning I had an interesting reflection based on Psalm 77:

Psalm 77:6-15 NIV
[6] "I remembered my songs in the night. My heart meditated and my spirit asked: [7] “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? [8] Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? [9] Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion? ”

[10] Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. [11] I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. [12] I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” [13] Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? [14] You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. [15] With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph."

The first four verses are dealing with the issue that God has not come, and not visited them with His power, and seems to have forgotten about them. I know this feeling and thinking well, as whenever difficult things happen, I am tempted to go down the path of believing that God doesn't love me, has forgotten about me or just doesn't care. I find myself thinking all the time about the thing that God hasn't done. It is a negative place that gets more painful with each passing day of unanswered prayer.

I believe the psalmist has it correct here. When he finds himself going down that path, He changes the way he thinks. Instead of thinking about what God hasn't done yet, he focuses instead on all the things hat God HAS done. God apparently likes it when His people remember all the things that He has done, because he commanded Is people to remember and recite those things, over and over. Knowing what God did in the past gives us hope and faith that He will once again act on our behalf.

The key take-away for me that I need to change the way I think when I start down the woe-is-me path. I need to start remembering those things God HAS already accomplished in my life. I need to become thankful, rather than give into disappointment, and frustration. The truth is that the Lord does love me, has good things planned for me, and is faithful to finish His work in me.