After Jesus commissions his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations in Matthew 28, he promises to be with them always to the very end of the age. The God who has come near will remain near. However, there are times when his proximity doesn’t feel quite so apparent. Our cries seem to be greeted only by silence. Outstretched arms find no firm hold. In these times, we might echo the Psalmist’s questions: “Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?” (77:8)

These are serious questions, and we stand on shaky ground when we ask them. They don’t merely strike at the heart of God’s character; they’re questions that challenge his very existence. Because when either of these questions is answered with “yes”, God fails to be God. His non-existence is proven by contradiction, and aloneness quickly collapses into hopelessness.

How can we avoid this peril? The Psalmist’s antidote is to remember. “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds” (77:11-12). He zooms out and meditates on the ways God has worked throughout history. 

One critical moment captivates his thoughts: the exodus from Egypt, God’s mighty act of redemption by which Israel’s identity as a nation was forged. However, he also has God’s creative work in view. Verse 16 alludes to Genesis 1 “The waters saw you, God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed” (77:16).

Redemption and creation. The two are inseparable because the same God sits behind both. The God who orchestrated and led Israel’s redemption is the same God who crafted creation. Indeed, the miracle of redemption requires no less than the power that worked all things out of nothing.

Of course, we see this no more clearly than in Jesus. He calmed storms, cured sickness, cast out evil spirits, and even raised the dead. He held the power of creation in his hands, and yet he gave his life to us and for us so that we might know the assurance of life eternal with him. There is indeed no one like the God who serves us and whom we have the privilege of calling our own. Let us continue to read his word so we never forget we are never alone.