The Trap of tracing the footsteps of the Lord (Ps T L Mukumba) 16-Aug-2020

Psalm 77:19

• This Psalm begins with a sorrowful complaints and end with comfortable encouragement. The complaints seem to personal grievances, but the encouragements relate to public concerns of the church. Its dialect is of captives, there some think it was penned during the captivity in Babylon. The Psalmist complain of the deep impression of his troubles from v1-10 and he encourages himself to hope in the Lord for a good victory and result at the end. He encourages himself by remembering the former appearances of the Lord in his life

• Have you ever been in problems that you cant even pray. I believe this was the point the Psalmists was at, yet he decided to change his focus from looking at himself and them looking uto the Lord. Sometimes when we look at our circumstances, we focus on ourselves and see no hope, but when we look by faith to the Lord; yes, our circumstance may not change but we do. Asaph the psalmist might not have completely solved his problems but he did move out of the shadows of doubt unto the sunshine communion with the Lord and confidence in Him.

• First, he Look up and he looked back and tried to trace the footprints of the Lord in the great results he had seen. It was difficult to imagine. In your circumstance I want to trace the footprints of the Lord. You might not find them, but your results will how the Lord was moving with you.

• I want everyone to loom back at the victories that you have had in your life. Can you the footprints? Or you can only see the great major results. What is encouraging is that being afflicted he prayed and being in agony he prayed more earnestly. Verse 1 says “I cried out to God with my voice—To God with my voice; And He gave ear to me.”

• Verse 2 “In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My soul refused to be comforted.” He was full of complaints, loud complaints, but directed them to God, he turned them into prayers, vocal prayers, very earnest and importunate. He gave vent to his grief and gain some relief. He took the right way in order to relief.

• Note: Days of trouble must be days of prayer, when God seems to have withdrawn from us. We must seek till we have found him. In the days of trouble he did not seek diversion and giving up, but he sought the Lord. If I am under trouble, I will not seek to drink it away, or laugh it away but I must pray it away. He says me hands stretched out in the night and ceased not.

• The Psalmist says, “I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.” It is troubling when can't here the footprints of God. Job says, “Therefore I am terrified at His presence; When I consider this, I am afraid of Him.” “Thy footsteps are unknown”. God became a terror to him, that he could not want to discuss some of the issues of his life with Him.

• The psalmist felt rejected and judged. One would have thought pouring out his hear to Lord would give him ease but it did not, “he complained and” yet his “spirit was overwhelmed” and sank under the load. The means of His present relief was denied him. He could not enjoy sleep (v4). He could not speak anymore. Speechlessly searching for a result. His though were now in disorder.

• He considered the old days and compared to the present (V5, 6). Sometime our victories, prosperity aggravate our calamities because we see not the wonders our Fathers told us of.

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