For my family, related or not, near or far / five minutes!
Rick McNally / Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Psalm 77:10-12 (ESV) / An Appeal
Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.
Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
A response to the questions asked in the previous section is the Psalmist’s appeal to the past deeds where God has shown his power and sovereignty. In his distress, he turns to history; particularly the history of the people of God and the dealings they had with the Lord.
When distressed, we must remember the way God saved people in the past when they were in distress. How does God deal with people who trust him?
I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
A couplet of poetry — I will remember. Emphasis. To remember is to recall, to mention aloud things that happened in the past.
Both deeds and wonders.
The deeds of God; the things he does, the things he practices. What kind of a God is he? The wonders of God are the unusual occurrences, the wonderful things mentioned in the histories of Israel. I will remember the great and wonderful things he has done.
In our lives, we can do the same. Think back and recount the things that God has done for you when you trusted him.
- Watching a parent who struggled with alcoholism find the Lord and recover his life and his family.
- Watching God working in your life and grow you and mature you in the difficult circumstances of the past.
- Seeing God work in the lives of people you know; sometimes miraculously.
- Considering the good things.
I ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.
To ponder means to mutter, or to growl. The idea here is probably that he mutters under his breath the things that God has done in the histories of Scripture. “God spared Isaac. God was with Joseph. God rescued Jacob’s family. God helped free Israel from Egypt. God…”
To meditate is the idea in Hebrew to enthusiastically speak of, to speak of the good things in the Lord’s actions. To be thankful and exclaim them.
Let’s look at all the verbs of this section in summary.
- Remember (2x) / recall, mention aloud
- Ponder / to murmur under the breath
- Meditate / enthusiastically speak of
All of these reactions are reactions of the mouth; they are verbal in nature. His response to the troubles and trials he will put the Lord and the good things of the Lord on his mouth.
When we struggle, we can either focus on the negative or focus on the positive things. The negative ways are so easy to fall into. Complain. Criticize. Run through negative thoughts in your head. Drag yourself down. Drag others down. This is so easy.
The positive side is what is encouraged here; recall the good things God has done. Mutter under your breath the acts of God. Enthusiastically speak of the wonders and deeds. This breeds perspective. This changes mindsets.
Application — When the negative thoughts come up and you start doubting God’s ability to protect and save, think about them and study scripture and put God’s actual history with his people in your mouth and on your tongue.
First Hand Truth 
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