Psalm 77

“When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted.” (Psalm 77:2, NLT)

Most of us avoid trouble if possible. Trouble makes us anxious and fearful. We run the hit parade of “what ifs” through our mind so that sleep escapes us. But trouble can be our touchpoint with God, and He welcomes this connection.

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” (Psalm 50:15, NKJV)

Asaph was going through a time of deep trouble, and even though he prayed all night, his soul was not comforted. Prayer was a good choice, but the results of prayer are not always immediate. God does not promise that our problems will instantly disappear. Often it is only through the struggle that the answer comes. The LORD encourages us to persevere in prayer and not to give up (Luke 18:1-8).

While trouble may catch us off guard, it never surprises God. He has a purpose for every problem. If we are anxious or fearful and not comforted, then it is usually because God is not finished yet. There is something more He wants to accomplish. Your reaction may in fact be the thing God wants to change through the problem. But you cannot know without calling upon the LORD in the day of trouble and waiting upon Him for the answer. This answer may be revealed through Scripture. Many times I have prayed about a troubling situation, and the answer later came to me as I was reading or studying the Bible.

When bringing your troubles to God, remember that He loves you more than you can ever know. He also cares for you—even in the little things. Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, and sometimes we must let Him so minister to us. His purpose is that we would learn to trust Him completely and absolutely surrender to His will. He wants to show us His strategic plan for our life and how to do it. He will deliver us from all trouble in His time and in His way—not necessarily for our immediate comfort but for His eternal purpose and glory.

“Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he slammed the door on his compassion?” (Psalm 77:9, NLT)

Never!