Reading the Psalms often has the effect of mirroring my soul. While reading Psalm 77 this morning, I found myself identifying with the Psalmist when he states, "Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has His steadfast love forever ceased? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His compassion?" Despair best describes how I feel some days as the waves of life crash against me. Whether experiencing the self inflicting wounds of selfish decisions or the expected difficulties of obediently following Jesus, the waves seem to often overtake me, knock me on my behind, and relentlessly crash against me - wave after wave. Furthermore, it seems the harde I strive to obey, the more I fail or the more I am slammed by the waves of life. "O that He would show Himself compassionate in this day, in this hour, in this circumstance of life!" Is my souls cry. Where do I go when He, the compassionate One, the Faitfhful One, the Gracious One seems so distant & unconcerned? Where do I turn when the touch of the Father seems so cold & indifferent? Thankfully the Psalmist exhorted me this morning to "remember the deeds of hate Lord!" And he reminded me of the character of our Great God whose compassions fail not (Lamentations 3:22). Where then do I turn? I turn to His Word where I discover His works & His character. I trust in His truth that is unchanging despite my present feelings. I meditate upon what He has done in order to rest in what He is doing & will do. Fact is I need Him & He delights in me. In this I must trust despite my current feeling of despair, for my God is good & gracious and no circumstance can change this! Praise be to His name!