Has the Lord rejected me forever?
Will he never again be kind to me?
Is his unfailing love gone forever?
Have his promises permanently failed?
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he slammed the door on his compassion? – Psalm 77:7-9

Have you ever asked these questions or watched someone struggle with their faith during a difficult time? Chronic diseases, fatal diagnoses, terminal cancer, tragic accidents, infidelity and divorce – difficult times can cause us to wonder where God is or why He is allowing such difficult times in our lives. We can find ourselves asking questions we never planned to ask, such as “Has God forgotten to be gracious?”

Then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
They are constantly in my thoughts.
I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.
O God, your ways are holy. – Psalm 77:11-13a

The psalmist asked these difficult questions while remembering all God had done in his life. He recalled how his ancestors had come to the Red Sea – seemingly impossible to cross in the midst of their struggle to survive. Then he remembered how God was mightier than the Red Sea. He reminded himself that God saw a path through the waves that no one knew was there. While the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed as the earth trembled and shook, God parted the sea and a pathway appeared.

Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters –
a pathway no one knew was there!
You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep,
with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds. – Psalm 77:19-20

God has not left you alone with your struggles. He sees a pathway you cannot see. He takes you by the hand and guides you to a glorious destiny. When your health fails and your spirit grows weak, God will remain the strength of your heart. He will not desert you. Stay close to the Sovereign Lord, your shelter – how good it is to be near God!

Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside.
I was so foolish and ignorant – I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.
Those who desert him will perish for you destroy those who abandon you.
But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. – Psalm 73:21-28