When we can't see Him

There are times when we are discouraged; dry times spiritually when we do not see what God is doing and wonder if He is still there, and hard times when we long for His tender mercy to comfort us by removing us from the difficult situation, but He doesn't and we wonder if He still cares.

In Psalm 77:10 - 12 the Psalmist shows us how to respond to those emotions: remember the good years with God, remember His good works, remember His wonders, meditate on what He has done in the past, and talk to others about those things.

This can be distilled into 3 things to do when you feel far from God...

1. Remember the good things He has already done
2. Meditate on those good things
3. Tell others about those good things

Notice that the Psalmist does not say that by doing this we will then be delivered from difficulty, or that God will respond by showing Himself, or that this is intended in any way to illicit a response from God (or worse, to oblige God to respond). 

This is the Psalmist showing us how to do what we are exhorted to do in Philippians 4:8. This is a spiritual discipline on our part that is meant to help us live by faith, not by our emotions.

Life has its ups and downs, and so does our walk with God. Here the Psalmist shows us how to "have the mind of Christ" consistently, no matter if we are up at the moment or down. This is the type of discipline that anchors us in Christ.