Why Do I Feel this Way?

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This sermon is based on Psalms 77 in which the author describes a time in his life when he felt alone and abandoned by God. Even memories of past blessings raise more questions about why the present circumstances are so different. However, focusing his thoughts on what is revealed about God's character and miracles for Israel brings him present comfort and confidence for the future.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

In November of 1942 US and Japanese forces were engaged in a heated battle for Guadalcanal in the Pacific. US ships had arrived to resupply Allied forces when word was received that the enemy ships were closing in. 

A fierce battle ensued between the ships in the night. Ships on both sides were sunk, and the light cruiser USS Juneau was torpedoed. The next morning the cruiser was limping along with five other ships when they encountered a Japanese submarine. Once again, the USS Juneau was torpedoed near the previous hit and its munitions magazine exploded causing the ship to break in two and sink.

Due to the tremendous explosion and the ongoing threat from the enemy sub, the other ships pulled away without looking for survivors, assuming all had perished. However, out of the nearly 700 crew members on the USS Juneau, approximately 115 had survived, but were abandoned to fight for survival in the waters for days. By the time a rescue was made 8 days later, there were only 10 survivors.

This was the ship on which the five Sullivan brothers perished.

This story is just one example out of thousands in which people have been abandoned to die. It is hard to imagine the thoughts and feelings in the minds and hearts of those sailors as they realized they were being left behind.

The Psalm that was read earlier in the service seems to imply that the author knows all about how abandonment feels. However, he didn’t allow those feelings to destroy him. He found a way to rise above them and come through the dark times victoriously.

Let’s look at the Psalm to discover how he rises above the darkness and fears.

I.        Circumstances in life cause a feeling of abandonment. (vv. 1-9)

(verses 1-2) The song of Asaph begins with a lament. He doesn’t specify what the problem is that has distressed him so much, which makes it a perfect pattern for later worshipers to use it also in their unique situations. (Tyndale Commentary)

Whatever has caused his distress, it drove him to cry out to God throughout the night. He cries out to the Lord with outstretched hands. His soul refused to be comforted which may be another way of saying, “I haven’t found any satisfactory answers for the overwhelming problems I face right now.”

Perhaps some of us have been in these kinds of circumstances where we find ourselves in such distressing situations that all we seem to be able to do is lament over the situation. Nothing seems to be providing a satisfactory answer.

Other expressions of abandonment in the Psalms:

Psalm 74:1 (NKJV) O God, why have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? 

Psalm 88:14 (NKJV) LORD, why do You cast off my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me? 

(verses 3-6) In these verses the Psalmist remembers God’s actions in the past and it continues to cause him pain, at least for now, because it seems to be contrary to what is happening now.

These thoughts keep him awake at night. (4)

Initially, these memories do not comfort him, but raise even more questions.

(Tyndale Commentary) “The contrast between the happy past and the agonizing present just seem to heighten his sadness.”

Sometimes we feel like saying, "Lord, just last year (or some other time frame), you demonstrated your power and you provided relief; or you provided deliverance, or healing… (whatever He did. You fill in the blank.) So, why aren’t you doing something now?"

(verses 7-9) he asks a series of questions that give expression to the true feelings of his heart. 

One source (Tyndale) seems to view these questions as the Psalmist peppering God with questions, trying to “prod Him into action.”

Another writer (Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Revised), says the questions are actually therapeutic for the Psalmist because they essentially cause him to realize that none of them can be true. 

It does us good sometimes to just allow ourselves to think through our feelings and push our thoughts to their logical conclusions. Do I really think God has forsaken me forever? Has He really lost His power? Has He stopped His mercy toward me? Have His promises failed? Well, no. That would be ridiculous! I’ve always believed the Word of God and I’ve found Him to be faithful time and time again.

II.            Reviewing God’s mighty deeds produces comfort and confidence. (vv. 10-20)

This section testifies to a turnaround in the psalmist’s thinking. He appeals to the past, and in particular to God’s great acts in history (the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand). Rather than concentrating and obsessing on his present condition, he resolves to look to the past when God worked his miracles of rescue. (Tyndale Commentaries)

A few stanzas earlier the Psalmist was reminiscing about what God had done in the past and it seemed to bring more sadness over the current circumstances because of the contrast between then and now. But it’s almost as though the tough questions in 7-9 prompted Asaph to expand his thinking to recall God’s miraculous deeds that have been recorded for everyone to know.

There is a lot more to know and remember about the past than just my own experiences. What about all of the other things God has done; especially the things recorded in Scripture?

(verses 10-12) The remembrance of the age-old acts of God is the basis for faith. God has been, is, and will always be. The reflection on his acts in the past is comforting to those who need him in the present…. The psalmist chose his words carefully so as to create the impression that he is reflecting on the Lord’s works in their great variety: in creation, redemption, judgment, and salvation. (Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised)

v. 11 – “I WILL remember…” (emphasis mine) A willful decision about what I am going to concentrate on.

(verses 13-20) As Asaph begins to think about all that God has done for the Israelites in the past, he is reminded that there is no other god that compares to the Lord. No one is so great. No one is so strong. No one has brought a nation out of bondage and redeemed them like the God of Jacob. Now, with his focus clearly on the works of God, the Psalmist poetically describes the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and bringing them through the Red Sea.

Illustrations of God’s power in OT  = Exodus; in the NT  = Resurrection

When he gets focused on these mighty acts of God in the past, it does bring comfort and it also brings confidence, knowing that God is still the same and will bring about a deliverance in His own time and in His own way. 

Important to move from comforting stage to confidence stage.

Conclusion:

Have you had those times when you felt like God had abandoned you? 

Do our current feelings cancel out all the miraculous wonders God has performed in the past? Do they disprove all that the Bible reveals about His nature and character? NO!

Like the Psalmist, let’s choose to focus on who God is and the miraculous power He has often displayed in order to bring us comfort today and confidence for tomorrow.

Closing Song:   O God, Our Help in Ages Past