Today’s Bible Verse, its vocabulary, is very interesting.

The Psalmist is distraught.

Either “sick” or under “God’s Hand of discipline.” Remember, he has just said: “In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.”

And now, Psalm 77:3 … “I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.”

Wow!

So far, in just three verses Asaph (the writer) has “cried” unto God (verse 1). Then he “sought” the Lord (verse 2). Now he is “remembering” God (verse 3)!

He is a God-centered man, no matter what seems to come his way!

“I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.”

The verb “remembered” is standard, “zakar,” to be “mindful” of someone.

The verb “troubled,” the relatively rare “hamah” (used only 34 times in all the Bible), means “to make noise!” Here are some of its King James Version translations: “roar, rage, mourn, be disquieted, clamour!”

Then a third verb, “complained” is found. And “siyach” means “to talk (5 times), meditate (5 times), speak (4 times), complain (2 times), pray (1 time), commune (1 time), muse (1 time), and declare (1 time). What a wide range of possibilities!

And then the Psalmist, his soul (his innermost being) became “overwhelmed.” Where “ataph” literally means “turned over.” Otherwise, “to faint, swoon, fail, be feeble, be covered over.”

What a picture of weakness, shock, astonishment!

Yet, whatever is involved here, this man keeps coming back to his God!

Let me show you the first 3 verses again, in their entirety. One can’t help but admire Asaph!

“I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.”

I’m pretty sure this ends the first stanza, the first strophe, of the Psalm. Note the “Selah” (which can means something like: “pause and think”) that concludes verse 3.

“Filter” these verses through your heart today, let your mind dwell on this kind of total reliance, trusting faith in the Lord.

Asaph, truly a little hero!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell