No footprints needed

Reading

Psalm 77:19

Devotional

I love this Psalm and it’s honesty as the author shares his sense of abandonment by God. We must read the full Psalm, if we stop after verse 10 we miss discovering Who God is to and for us, and fail to learn the skills necessary to cope with suffering.

The song’s composer, cries out to God, he receives no immediate response – in other words, he is to wait upon God. He accuses God of abandoning him, of being the source of his misery. 

In verse 11 we see a change, we see that Asaph remembers Who God is. He realises this because he remembers the activity of God in the past (v:14). Asaph remembers God’s faithfulness to his ancestors and then, he speaks about the sea! For the Hebrews, the sea held great terror, the demons lived there but Asaph speaks to the power of the One Who made the sea. 

Verse 19 reflects the new understanding of our hymn writer: This same One is our God, this One Whose footprints cannot be seen comes close to us - especially in our times of need. We may not feel Him, see His footprints, but that doesn’t mean He is absent. 

When you are having difficult times, call to mind the stories of our Faith and your own experiences of the goodness, generosity, and faithfulness of God, this will give you strength to continue, whatever you are facing. The steadfast love of God is boundless, even the oceans cannot contain Him.

 

Prayer

Eternal God, thank You that You are close to me especially when I can’t feel Your Presence. Your faithfulness throughout the generations, and in creation, reveals that Your love is steadfast. Help me to trust this great truth as I offer myself, and all that this new day holds, to You, with confidence that by Your Holy Spirit You are for me, in me and with me, through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Author

Linda Pollock