Songs in the Night

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.” – Psalm 77:11 (NIV)

Have you found there are moments in life when words fail us and when sleep escapes us? Times when even prayer feels like a distant echo? Psalm 77 gives voice to such a moment—a soul on the edge, wrestling with doubt and silence. And yet, in the stillness, something stirs: memory. 

The psalmist begins in anguish—sleepless, speechless, and spiritually disoriented. Verses 7–9 capture the raw questions we sometimes dare not speak aloud: “Will the Lord reject forever? Has his unfailing love vanished? Has God forgotten to be merciful?” These are not just rhetorical questions—they are the cries of a heart in crisis.

But then, a shift. In verse 11, the psalmist chooses to remember: “I will remember the deeds of the Lord.” He recalls the mighty acts of God—His holiness (v.13), His power to redeem (v.15), His presence in the storm (v.17–18), and His guidance through the sea (v.19–20). The memory of God’s faithfulness becomes the bridge from despair to hope.

We’ve all had nights like that—when the weight of life presses in and faith feels fragile. In those moments, like the psalmist, we can turn to the songs of the past—songs, rich in praise of God’s steadfastness and His goodness, such as “Amazing Grace”, “The Old Rugged Cross,” and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” These songs are more than melodies—they’re testimonies. They remind us of who God is and what He has done. 

Take “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” for example. Its refrain— “Morning by morning new mercies I see”—echoes not only the heart of Psalm 77 but also the confession of hope in Lamentations 3. There, amid the rubble of Jerusalem and the weight of sorrow, the writer says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.” Like the psalmist, he chooses to remember: to look back on God’s mercy in order to move forward in trust.

These songs become our prayers when we have none. They lift us when we cannot lift ourselves. They remind us of the truth that even when we feel forgotten, God remembers us.

Faithful God, when our hearts are heavy and our prayers feel hollow, help us to remember. Bring to mind the songs that have carried us, the stories of Your faithfulness, and the miracles of long ago that still echo today. Surround us with Your Spirit’s presence in our darkest hours and let the memories of Your goodness breathe new life into our hope. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Peace & Grace,

Pastor Tim