Show Notes
READ: PSALM 77; ROMANS 8:35-39
Have you ever felt abandoned by God?
Psalm 77 records a fervent prayer of Asaph. At the beginning, Asaph searches for and calls out to God, so we’d think everything would turn out okay, right? But then Asaph groans! He remembers the ways God helped him in the past, but he feels agony that he is no longer in that place. He starts to wonder if God still cares about him. He goes so far as to question God’s character, wondering if He is even compassionate and merciful anymore.
In the same way, we may have moments when we cry out to God, remembering that He is with us, and we still feel no comfort. That’s because our circumstances bring us real pain, and we know that God can do something about it. But He doesn’t. And we can’t understand why He doesn’t.
But just when Asaph is going down that path, everything shifts. This is when he intentionally directs his thoughts to God’s faithfulness. Asaph is essentially saying, I’m going to choose to remember what God has done for me in the past. Even though my circumstances have changed since then, God has not changed. My situation is different, but God is still the same.
By the end of the psalm, in one sense, nothing has changed for Asaph. His situation is unmoved. But in another sense, pondering what’s true about God changed everything for Asaph, as his mind shifted from the pain of his circumstances to the awesomeness of His God. It’s like he was saying, You have done great things. Nothing stood in your way when you led your people out of the most difficult, hopeless situation. No one and nothing has ever stood in your way.
Think about what Jesus has done for you and for me—what His life, death, and resurrection have saved us from, and what He continues to rescue us out of. God has not changed, even if our circumstances have. No matter what’s going on in our lives, God has not given up on us. He never has, and He never will. • Andrew Jacob Mead
• Can you think of any examples of good things God has done for you in the past—ways He has rescued, provided for, sustained, or delighted you? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this! (James 1:17)
• Can you think of a time you felt abandoned by God? Jesus felt abandoned by the Father when He was on the cross, so He knows how we feel (Matthew 27:45-46). And because Jesus died and rose again for us, nothing can ever separate us from Him. (Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)
But then I recall all you have done, O LORD; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. Psalm 77:11 (NLT)
More from Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens
READ: MATTHEW 6:19-21; JOHN 3:16-17; 14:1-4; REVELATION 19:6-9; 21:1-5
READ: PSALM 139:1-4; ROMANS 5:6-8; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 We curate the caption and crop the distraction, Chasing the applause of a virtual reaction. We polish the exterior to hide the interior, Afraid that our true selves are somehow inferior. But in the quiet, when the screen goes black, We feel the heavy weight of the perfection we lack. See, Jesus didn’t come for your highlight reel, He came for the brokenness you try to conceal. No filter could cover the crimson cost of sin, So He opened His arms to let the rebels in. On the cross, He was exposed, stripped, and bruised, So the real you would never have to be refused. He was buried in the dark so you could walk in the light, Tearing the veil to make your future bright. The grave couldn’t hold Him, the stone rolled away, Giving you mercy that is new every day. You are not a brand, a post, or a trend, You are chosen, beloved, and called His friend. So drop the performance, let the pretense cease, And rest in the rhythm of His perfect peace. • Ty Scott King • Why do you think it’s sometimes easier to show people a curated version of ourselves rather than who we really are? What parts of yourself do you try to curate, edit, and hide away? • Jesus sees the unedited version of you, and He loves you so much that He died and rose again for you. How could this truth affect the way yo view your mistakes, flaws, or things you just don’t like about yourself? • Are there any areas of your life where you feel like you’re putting on a performance instead of trusting God’s grace? Consider spending some time in prayer, laying these things down at Jesus’s feet and asking Him to help you see yourself the way He sees you. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)