"Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will he never again be kind to me? Is his unfailing love gone forever? Have his promises permanently failed? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he slammed the door on his compassion?" Psalm 77:7-9 (NLT)
Several years ago I was drowning in a sea of difficult circumstances. With each gasping breath, God appeared farther and farther away. I prayed, but God was silent. Emotions played tricks on me, causing anxiety and fear to get the better of me. Instead of God's kindness and love, loneliness and abandonment loomed large. In my head I knew that wasn't true, but that's how I felt.
Apparently the person who wrote Psalm 77:7-9 experienced these same doubts. It seems he was at the end of his rope, pleading for God's deliverance from hardship. He expressed his feelings, and asked why God had rejected him. Did God even care?
He felt rejected, alone and afraid.
Maybe you are experiencing a season of life where God seems to be a million miles away. You're wondering "why?" and questioning, like the Psalmist, if God has forgotten you.
We all experience feelings of rejection and loneliness at times. Whether as a little girl who desperately wishes her daddy would love her, an employee who longs for the approval of her boss, or a woman who would give anything for a husband that pays attention to her. There are countless reasons to feel rejected in this broken world - but feeling forgotten by God really hurts.
When we find ourselves feeling forgotten, we have two choices. Either turn away from God in anger and frustration. Or we can allow the words of Psalm 77:11-14 to motivate us to recognise God's sovereignty ... and continue to trust and praise Him even in the midst of our difficulties.
Despite his heartache, the author of this Psalm remembered that God truly was his only help. Psalm 77:11-14 says, "But then I recall all you have done, O LORD; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works. O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations." (NLT)
He recognised his own weakness, and his need for God. In the midst of his suffering, he chose to wilfully and wholeheartedly ponder the Lord's goodness and praise Him.
The Psalmist changed his attitude completely by focusing on all God has done over the years. Instead of keeping his eyes on his own circumstances and troubles, he meditated on God's ability to overcome them. He gave himself a little praise pep talk, ramping up his faith from the inside out.
If we feel rejected, it's time to turn our focus upward instead of inward. Rather than rehearsing all the ways God hasn't changed our current circumstances, let's praise Him for the many times He has shown His faithfulness in the past. We can have a little praise pep talk of our own! God is waiting with open ears and outstretched arms, for we are too loved to ever be forgotten.
Dear Lord, I feel forgotten and alone. Forgive me for my doubts, and reassure my heart of Your love and protection. I commit to put my hope in You, and trust and praise You in the good and the bad. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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