Slices
Prepare
As we look ahead at the beginning of a new year, take some time to recall God’s ‘amazing grace’, now and throughout history.
Bible passage
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.
3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7 ‘Will the Lord reject for ever?
Will he never show his favour again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished for ever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?’
10 Then I thought, ‘To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.’
13 Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
16 The waters saw you, God,
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
the heavens resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Explore
The words of this song are timely! Perhaps, like the psalmist in verses 7 to 9, you’ve had moments of doubting God, especially over the last few years, as we succumbed to a global pandemic. And yet, as we revisit the past, we see God’s faithfulness time and time again, throughout history and in our own lives too: his miracles, his works and his mighty deeds (vs 11,12). A reminder that God’s ways are holy and perfect, displaying his power to rescue us.
The reference to the parting of the Red Sea (v 19) is a reminder of the people of Israel, hotly pursued by the Egyptians they were escaping from, confronted by water and seemingly trapped. As they reached an apparent dead end after all that they had already been through, I can’t help wondering if they might have thought, ‘Now what?’
‘The God who performs miracles’ (v 14) provided a way through the sea! What a great illustration of God’s promise in Isaiah 43:2: ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.’ Whatever confronts us, God himself is with us!
Respond
Remember God’s faithfulness. Thank him for his amazing grace. Praise him for his mighty deeds. Ask him to help you trust him, whatever he has in store for you.
Deeper Bible study
Reflect on key areas of your life this New Year’s Day. Where are you hoping for change? Record your intentions and display them as your agenda for daily prayer.
In the middle of a story it’s hard to trust God for how it will end. When, in the Second World War, the expeditionary force was stranded at Dunkirk, it was impossible to see a British Army returning to Europe to confront Nazi Germany. Despair was a reasonable response.
The writer of this psalm is disorientated; perhaps writing at the time of the Exile, when nation, king and Temple were all lost. Prayer is leading nowhere: feeling neither heard nor helped, seeking God leaves the writer sleepless, wordless and comfortless. The psalm reminds us how hard it can be to pray when stuck in the middle of a story. It reminds us that the Bible doesn’t just contain God’s Word to us but also our words to God, including bitter and despairing words. Though unanswered, this lament gives us clues as to how to wait for an answer. In verses 10–13 the writer determines to remember what God has done, as a basis for believing that the despair he was feeling couldn’t be the last word. The Exodus (vs 16–20) is still real, even in the midst of Exile, and there has to be a way forward even if it’s as yet unperceived (v 19).
As I write for New Year’s Day, this psalm is an uncomfortable one, but it reminds us that the experience of Exile was not God’s final word. Nor will a pandemic be the final word, nor even a war in Europe. As Paul reminds us, God has kept all his promises in Jesus Christ.1 Just as the psalmist remembered the Exile, so, for us, remembering Jesus, crucified and risen, helps us to respond in praise. However dark the middle of our stories might seem, we rest in the presence of the Lord, who will never leave us nor forsake us.
Despair has been closer to many of us over recent years. Alongside your agenda for prayer, record your reasons for thanksgiving and hope in God’s promises.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Genesis 1,2; Matthew 1
Pray for Scripture Union
In October Scripture Union Malawi celebrated 50 years of ministry. Give thanks for the work and pray that God will continue to encourage and provide as they move forward.
