De-escalating The Adversity
Psalm 77
With children a question parents often have, and expanding out to others, teachers, babysitters, grandparents, and more is when you speak to them, "are you listening to me?" In an elementary and junior high ministry where I taught it seemed to have it's share of "active" young people. Often I would ask before I started a new lesson was if anyone remembered last week's lesson. Often enough when I taught I would include an unusual comment that made the lesson come alive, help the whole story be a little bit more focused on God's part in the lesson. So this one particular week I asked who remembered last week's lesson. One of the “active” boys who I was quite certain he was barely paying attention raised his hand and skeptically I picked him. In his process of telling every detail of the story even as I had told it he even included that added comment that isn't specifically Scripture, but was a pertinent truth about that story not normally stated in it's telling. It was a shock to me in all his being a boy, acting out, and all that he had listened with such detail. He was listening to me.
A Psalm committed to Asaph.
My voice came to God, when I cried: my voice came to God, and he heard me.
Psalms 77:1 GNV
Sometimes we view God as to busy, to active to bother with us, not really interested in what I'm doing what are encountering or dealing with at the moment, especially when we enter very difficult times of our life. This psalmist begins stating this certainty, this confidence. My voice came to God, when I cried. My voice came to God, and He heard me. We are often reminded that this is God's nature to hear us. He just does! But we also like the psalmist even though we have His word and reassurance our next words are often words of doubt and discouragement wondering if ever God will or even does pay attention to us. A thought along this line was brought out in a video I had to watch at work about de-escalating adverse situations with customers, e.g. when customers are being rude and wonder if anyone at the store is listening. First thing they suggest to de-escalate is first answering with "I hear you". Beloved, GOD ALWAYS HEARS US, even when we sound so rude.
Will the Lord absent him self for ever? and will he shew no more favour?
Psalms 77:7 GNV
In our American way of thought that would be considered rude to say "God heard me", then turn around and say, "Is He never going to show up? Isn't He going to show me any favor ever again?" Most of the next verses of this psalm seem to follow this same sentiment. But we need to remember with all the discouragement we express yet God has de-escalated the whole argument, He has heard us. It doesn't mean we're not still anxious for sometime afterwards. Much like a getting a muscle cramp, at the time it's a hopelessly impossible extremely painful time, but when the cramp is released the muscle still feels pain for a much longer time than the cramp felt knotted. And eventually all feels right again.
Oh to remember who God is, what He does, how He truly loves and cares for us. Keep in mind throughout the whole reading of this psalm out of that first statement, "He heard me". As we go through the struggle, remember that we are "going through the struggle"and it isn't just a few minutes, or an hour or two, but could even be weeks, months, or years. We may be going through it, our best friend might be going through it, or even others that we haven't yet met (you get to know them in middle of their struggle). No matter where we are in the midst of it, God has heard us. He is de-escalating the situation, our situation, our struggle. In the end we can "feel right" again, but also know we have grown to trust Him more. As quoted from a movie version of C.S. Lewis' "Voyage of the Dawn Treader":
Edmund: "So what was it like when Aslan changed you back?" (from being a fire breathing dragon.)
Eustace: "No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't do it myself. Then he came towards me. It sort of hurt, but it was a good pain. You know, like when you pull a thorn from your foot."
May we in the end praise and honor God as this psalmist did:
Thy way, O God, is in the Sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God! Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy power among the people.
Psalms 77:13 - 14 GNV