Psalm 77:11-12 (NLT)
“But 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.”
Let’s be honest, some days feel heavier than others. Some weeks feel like months. And some years? They just test your soul. Somedays, would you rather sing, “If your sad and you know it, clap your hands?”
You’ve probably had seasons where the hard days seem to outnumber the good ones. Days when your heart feels low, your faith feels shaky, and your perspective gets clouded by your present pain.
It’s in those moments that we have a choice: Do we dwell on the darkness? Or do we reflect on the light we’ve seen before?
I am not telling you something you don’t already know, but dwelling on your current bad, imperfect, annoying situation, and season…. Will only get you stuck and not able to move forward.’=
January and February are cold, dark, and miserable.-I have a choice to either be weary and tired….or to think about spring and summer coming soon. You know why I can make it through the winter–becauseI remember what spring and summer feels like. I reflect on green grass, blue skies, warm temperatures, and beautiful flowers. Spiritually, you know how I make it through dark, hard, and miserable days? I remember the days of His goodness.HowGod has always been there for me and my family.
Looking Back to Move Forward
Psalm 77 gives us a raw, honest picture of someone wrestling with doubt. Asaph—known for his worship leadership and Psalms—has a very human moment of despair:
“Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will He never again be kind to me?… Has God forgotten to be gracious?”
—Psalm 77:7-9 (NLT)
He’s not sugarcoating anything. His questions are bold and real.
But something powerful happens in verse 11. There’s a shift.
“But then I recall all You have done, O Lord…”
That “but then” changes everything. I believe one of things that happened, is that the presence of God jogged his memory and begin to reflect and see the bigger picture of God at work.
Guzik- “With these questions…Asaph spoke his fear that the season of dryness and frustration might last forever. He feared that never again would he see the favor of God, the mercy of God, and the fulfillment of God’s promise.”
When Faith Feels Absent, Memory Steps In
Sometimes your faith needs a little help. And often, memory is what hands it the lifeline.
Charles Spurgeon put it like this:
“Memory is a fit handmaid for faith.”
When faith is low, when your hope feels dry, memory can open the storehouse of past victories and remind you: God has never failed you before.
Remember that time He provided.
Remember the healing.
Remember the comfort.
Remember the strength that came out of nowhere.
Memory is how hope is painted. As Alexander Maclaren wrote:
“Memory supplies the colors with which hope paints her truest pictures.”
Even the Best Feel the Worst
Don’t miss this: Asaph wasn’t some fringe doubter. He was a spiritual leader. Yet he asked the same hard questions we’ve all asked.
And like him, we must not stay in the pit.
You may feel like it’s always going to be winter—dark, cold, and never-ending. But faith whispers: Spring is coming.
You get through the hard seasons by remembering what it felt like when it wasn’t this hard. Just like we survive winter because we’ve felt spring before, we survive despair by remembering joy.
This Isn’t Just Positive Thinking—It’s Holy Remembering
This kind of reflection isn’t shallow optimism. It’s not “just think happy thoughts.” It’s spirit-powered hope grounded in the truth of who God is.
You cannot do this without God’s presence alive in you. Without His Spirit, we are frail. With Him, we are resilient.
Your Turn to Remember
Take a few moments today and reflect:
- When did God come through for you?
- What miracle, big or small, have you forgotten?
- What promise did He fulfill?
- What joy did He restore?
Write it down. Dwell on it. Let memory build your faith again.
Final Thought
If your current season feels hopeless, don’t deny it—redirect it.
Let memory stir your faith. Let remembrance revive your hope.
Because the same God who moved before is still working today
