Do you feel depressed or rejected by God sometimes?
If you do you will probably identify with what the psalmist says in Psalm 77:7-9? “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” There are times when I’m interacting with people these questions come up.
They feel as though God doesn’t really care. They’re depressed and feel rejected by God.
How do you cope when such feelings begin to overwhelm you? Listen to what the psalmist did. Verses 10-11 say, “Then I thought, to this I will appeal. The years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the deeds of the Lord, yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.”
Stop long enough to think back and get your eyes off the present circumstances. Maybe right now things aren’t going very well. Look back and reflect on all the good things God has done; the miracles of long ago recorded in the Bible, miracles you have read about in history and have experienced in your own life. Consider all of God’s mighty deeds. Meditate on them. Remember them, but don’t live in the past.
Remember, then reflect on what you’ve learned from the past. Let what you’ve learned be an encouragement to you as you face present challenges. Apply those lessons learned, and the truths under-girding them. Believe that they will provide encouragement that will enable you to go on courageously in the present.
