Men must struggle or they deteriorate.”
–Louis L’Amour (The Californios)
“But when I looked for good, evil came to me; and when I waited for light, then came darkness.”
–Job 30:26 (NKJV)
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“The man of faith is never blind to the desolation. He sees clearly all the terrible facts. But he sees more. He sees God.”
–G. Campbell Morgan
Where is God? Have you ever felt that way? Where was God on 9/11? Where was God with this virus? Where was God when I needed Him most? Asaph was having this problem. God wasn’t answering him; or at least He was not answering him the way he wanted. Job, even in his despair, saw God. He didn’t understand what had happened and he wanted to confront God, but he knew that God was there. Let’s finish with Psalm 74, notice in this portion of the Psalm that Asaph is trying to get God’s attention.
12 — For God is my King from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 — You divided the sea by Your strength; you broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.
14 — You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gave him as food to people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 — You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up mighty rivers.
16 — The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.
17 — You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter.
18 — Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD, and that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.
19 — Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
20 — Have respect to the covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty.
21 — Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name.
22 — Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.
23 — Do not forget the voice of Your enemies; the tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually. (NKJV)
Asaph is trying to get God to “remember” (as if He ever forgets). What is it that you need the Lord to remember regarding your life? Because of our nature, “we project our forgetfulness onto God, when all the time He is waiting for us to remember Him.” (George O. Wood) I have noticed through the years that people tend to come to the Lord when they need something and then wonder why they cannot find Him. They didn’t bother with Him in the good times, in the times of plenteous blessing, but when trouble comes they want Him right now.
One important aspect of Asaph’s “complaint” is that he never forgets that the Lord is sovereign and powerful. He speaks of the Creator and he speaks of Him as a deliverer. However, what is on his mind is the trouble that he sees. Why God, why God don’t You do something about these foolish people who mock and blaspheme You? He wants God to defend Himself against mere mortal man. God remembers, and God watches. He is God, therefore He does not need to plead His cause.
Asaph knew God, yet he seemingly challenges Him. He is troubled, he has forgotten his hope and the sin of the people. We must remember, and it should bring comfort to us, that “our hopes lies in God’s own character.” (Wood) We don’t look at circumstances, but we focus on the character of God.
“Begone, unbelief;
My Savior is near,
And for my relief
Will surely appear;
By prayer let me wrestle,
And he will perform;
With Christ in the vessel,
I smile at the storm.”
–John Newton
————————————-
“The man of faith is never blind to the desolation. He sees clearly all the terrible facts. But he sees more. He sees God.”
–G. Campbell Morgan
Where is God? Have you ever felt that way? Where was God on 9/11? Where was God with this virus? Where was God when I needed Him most? Asaph was having this problem. God wasn’t answering him; or at least He was not answering him the way he wanted. Job, even in his despair, saw God. He didn’t understand what had happened and he wanted to confront God, but he knew that God was there. Let’s finish with Psalm 74, notice in this portion of the Psalm that Asaph is trying to get God’s attention.
12 — For God is my King from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 — You divided the sea by Your strength; you broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.
14 — You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gave him as food to people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 — You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up mighty rivers.
16 — The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.
17 — You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter.
18 — Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD, and that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.
19 — Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
20 — Have respect to the covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty.
21 — Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name.
22 — Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.
23 — Do not forget the voice of Your enemies; the tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually. (NKJV)
Asaph is trying to get God to “remember” (as if He ever forgets). What is it that you need the Lord to remember regarding your life? Because of our nature, “we project our forgetfulness onto God, when all the time He is waiting for us to remember Him.” (George O. Wood) I have noticed through the years that people tend to come to the Lord when they need something and then wonder why they cannot find Him. They didn’t bother with Him in the good times, in the times of plenteous blessing, but when trouble comes they want Him right now.
One important aspect of Asaph’s “complaint” is that he never forgets that the Lord is sovereign and powerful. He speaks of the Creator and he speaks of Him as a deliverer. However, what is on his mind is the trouble that he sees. Why God, why God don’t You do something about these foolish people who mock and blaspheme You? He wants God to defend Himself against mere mortal man. God remembers, and God watches. He is God, therefore He does not need to plead His cause.
Asaph knew God, yet he seemingly challenges Him. He is troubled, he has forgotten his hope and the sin of the people. We must remember, and it should bring comfort to us, that “our hopes lies in God’s own character.” (Wood) We don’t look at circumstances, but we focus on the character of God.
“Begone, unbelief;
My Savior is near,
And for my relief
Will surely appear;
By prayer let me wrestle,
And he will perform;
With Christ in the vessel,
I smile at the storm.”
–John Newton