Outlines in Psalms

Psalm 74 can be divided into three divisions:
              I.  The Complaint of a Troubled Heart (Psalm 74:1-11)
             II.  The Turning Point of a Confident Faith (Psalm 74:12-17)
            III.  The Cry of a Trusting Heart (Psalm 74:18-23)

Under the first division, we find four questions of complaint from the troubled heart.

Outlines in Psalms

“Maschil of Asaph”

What is the difference between complaining at God and crying unto God?  The difference is rooted to our attitude – whether or not we have a spirit of confident faith in Him.

Outlines in Psalms

This outline is a companion to two previous outlines:  In the Day of My Trouble - Psalm 77    
                                                                                    But I Will Remember - Psalm 77:10-12    

In Psalm 77:4-9 the psalmist Asaph cried out and complained, saying, “Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.  I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.  I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.  Will the Lord cast off for ever?  And will he be favourable no more?  Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?  Hath God forgotten to be gracious?  Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.”

As we have noted in a previous outline (see above), through this complaint we understand that the psalmist had come to a place of utter discouragement and depression.  In addition, we understand that the foundational reason for the psalmist’s discouragement and depression was that he had come to a place of doubting and questioning the gracious, merciful, and faithful nature of the Lord his God.  Yet by the end of this psalm, the psalmist had come to a completely different place, to a place of comfort and courage through whole-hearted trust in and praise of the Lord his God.  The turning point for this change began with the opening confession of verse 10 – “And I said, This is my infirmity.”  Herein the psalmist acknowledged and confessed the sinfulness of his attitude against the Lord.

Yet what was the path by which the psalmist originally came to the place of utter discouragement and depression?  This path is revealed in the steps of Psalm 77:2-3.  According to the opening portion of verse 2, the psalmist had indeed sought the Lord through prayer – “In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord.”  Yet this involvement in prayer did not bring relief to the psalmist’s attitude; for in the opening portion of verse 3, he declared, “I remembered God, and was troubled.”  Why did seeking the Lord through prayer not bring relief?  It did not bring relief because although the psalmist involved himself in the practice of prayer, his heart remained focused upon the troubles of his life.  This then was the psalmist’s path to utter discouragement and depression:

Outlines in Psalms

This outline is a companion to a previous outline:  In the Day of My Trouble - Psalm 77    

In Psalm 77:4-9 the psalmist Asaph cried out and complained, saying, “Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.  I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.  I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.  Will the Lord cast off for ever?  And will he be favourable no more?  Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?  Hath God forgotten to be gracious?  Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.”

Through this cry and complaint, we understand that the psalmist had come to a place of utter discouragement and depression.  In addition, we understand that the foundational reason for the psalmist’s discouragement and depression was that he had come to a place of doubting and questioning the gracious, merciful, and faithful nature of the Lord his God.  Yet by the end of this psalm, the psalmist had come to a completely different place, to a place of comfort and courage through whole-hearted trust in and praise of the Lord his God.  So then, what brought about this change?  The turning point of the psalm is found in verses 10-12.

Outlines in Psalms

“To the chief musician, to Jeduthun [praising, celebrating], A Psalm of Asaph.”

  I.  The Cry of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:1-3)
 II.  The Complaint of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:4-9)
III.  The Confession of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:10a)
IV.  The Commitment of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:10b-12)
 V.  The Confidence of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:13-15)
VI.  The Comfort of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:16-20)