Introduction to the Psalms: Images of God

Psalm 77:1-3, 13    I cry out to God; yes, I shout.  Oh, that God would listen to me!  When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord.   All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted.   I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing … O God, your ways are holy.
                             … Is there any god as mighty as you?      (NLT)
Psalm 77:13        … Who is so great a God as our God?      (NKJV)
Psalm 77:13        … No other god compares with you          (CEV)

Context:   When we consider the Psalms as a “Prayer Book” of the people and of Jesus we may ask … who is this God that we pray to?  How can I know this God?  In the psalms we find images of …

• the God to whom the ancient Israelites prayed …
• the God to whom Jesus prayed … 
• the God to whom the early church prayed … and
• the God with whom we connect as we live in the present moment of each life experience. 

Yet the image is not the reality.  We define an image as a “likeness” or a “reflection.”  It is said that we are made in the “image” of God.   Genesis 1:27 reads, “God created human beings in God’s own image.  In the image of God, God created them; male and female God created them.”   Perhaps you notice that in this first creation story, male and female were created together as an expression of the fullness of God. 

We, you and I, are not God but as we come to know God and are “overwhelmed with longing” when we think of God, we are filled with a desire to become like the God whom we adore.  If you want to explore the concept of “becoming the God whom we adore” for deeply, I recommend Good Goats: Healing Our Image of God by The Linns.

As simply a likeness or a reflection, any image limits God for God is truly “bigger” than we can imagine.  God is both infinite and indefinable.  Yet that did not stop the Psalm writers/singers from expressing their experience of God and it should not stop us.  That infinite and indefinable God shines through in this passage.  Psalm 77 is a beautiful introduction to Images of God for the images speak of the God we long for and the fear of abandonment we must all struggle with.   We might say … we explore images of God as a way to try to understand and relate to God NOT as a comprehensive definition of God.  Look at the next few verses, 4-11:

You don’t let me sleep.  I am too distressed even to pray!
I think of the good old days, long since ended, when my nights were filled with joyful songs. 
I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
Has the Lord rejected me forever?   Will God never again be kind to me? 
Is God’s unfailing love gone forever?  Have God’s promises permanently failed?
Has God forgotten to be gracious?  Has God slammed the door on compassion?
And I said, “This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.”

Going Deeper:  As you read these verses, look at the way they begin by speaking directly to God.  The poet then turns to searching and pondering God with deep questions.   As you read these verses, what do they tell you about God?  What do these verses tell you about the way people sometimes feel about God?  Have you ever felt this way?  Have you ever asked questions like these in the midst of your prayers in desperate times?   If you don’t feel that it is ok to talk with God in this way, what is your resistance?  What do these verses tell you about the relationship between God and humanity? 

Look at the last few verses, 12 and 14-20:
But then I recall all you have done, O LORD; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
They are constantly in my thoughts.  I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.
You are the God of great wonders!  You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
By your strong arm, you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
When the Red Sea saw you, O God, its waters looked and trembled! The sea quaked to its very depths. 
The clouds poured down rain;  the thunder rumbled in the sky.
Your arrows of lightning flashed. 
Your thunder roared from the whirlwind;
the lightning lit up the world! 
The earth trembled and shook. 
Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!  You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.

Pondering:  The Psalmist calls upon history to bring comfort.  Have you ever recounted your own history as a testimony to God’s faithfulness in your life?   How does this comfort you?  What is the image of God that emerges for you from this passage? 

Praying:  Write a psalm to God in a stream of consciousness which means you just let the words flow onto the paper whether they make sense or not … if you allow your deeper thoughts to emerge you might begin to allow your deeper emotions to rise as well.  THAT is OK!  Your psalm doesn’t have to have a pattern but you can you this as a guide if you desire guidance:

• Gather your supplies.  Perhaps you might want to start a Psalm Journal to record your writings.  If not, simply choose a stack of good paper.  Choose a pen that writes easily so you aren’t distracted. 
• Take a deep breath and feel the Spirit of God warming your heart … Center yourself and focus on God.
• Write “I …” and then continue writing in a stream of consciousness … 
• When you wind down, write “You …” and as you consider the faithfulness of God in your life, continue in the same way as before until you have said what you need to say
• Amen!