Psalm 77:12–20
12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary:
Who is so great a God as our God?
14 Thou art the God that doest wonders:
Thou hast declared thy strength among the people.
15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
16 The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid:
The depths also were troubled.
17 The clouds poured out water:
The skies sent out a sound:
Thine arrows also went abroad.
18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven:
The lightnings lightened the world:
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Thy way is in the sea,
And thy path in the great waters,
And thy footsteps are not known.
20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
His way is in the sea.
Can you imagine how the children of Israel felt as they approached the Red Sea? They had left Egypt with hopeful anticipation of freedom and happiness but then they walked into this road block. The dust clouds can easily be seen in the distance as the army of Pharaoh pursues them but there is nowhere to run. Moses had led them here. They thought that he was God’s man and was leading them God’s way but it certainly didn’t seem that way at the time.
Would God lead his people to a dead end?
That doesn’t make sense. Surely, God’s way was not this one.
When Moses said, “see the salvation of the Lord” and those waters parted the people understood, God is not bound by the roadways of man, his way is in the sea!
Israel marched on dry, dusty ground and when they got to the other side the waters closed leaving no footprints to see the way in which God had led them.
Psalm 77:19 Thy way is in the sea,
And thy path in the great waters,
And thy footsteps are not known.
His way was in the sea.
Can you try to picture how the disciples felt as they fought the storm on the waves of the Sea of Galilee? They thought death to be certain, water was making it’s way into their boat despite all their efforts. I’m sure it occurred to them that if Jesus had just been there then everything would be ok. He could control the storm just like he had in the past. Then they saw a ghostly figure walking across the waves. It was their Lord and his way was on the sea.
I have never seen someone walk on water but I suppose that when it happens, no foot prints remain, the water would just cover those tracks.
His way is on the Sea!
Asaph answers his spiritual dilemma by reminding himself of God’s past works. It helped him to look back and remember how God is not bound by normal paths and no skilled hunter could track him. Just because his way doesn’t seem right and just because you can’t see where he is going doesn’t mean that he is still. One thing is certain
Psalm 77:20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
God’s way are not ours but he is a good shepherd who can be trusted to lead and care for his flock.
What is the point? If like Asaph you are struggling with your faith, like Israel questioning where God has leading or like those disciples feeling alone in your storm just know that his ways are not our ways, his path cannot be traced but he can be trusted.