Dealing with Anxiety – Part 2

Anxiety is a real issue and real people are dealing with it on a daily basis. The other day we looked at a modern day actress who was brave enough to share her struggle with anxiety. Today I want us to look at a man in scripture who also struggled with anxiety. His name is Asaph. Bless his heart. I can only imagine the names he might have been called on the Babylonian playground. But I digress…

In Psalm 77 we see a descriptive picture of the deep pit Asaph was in. For the full version you can read it here. We see the progression of how Asaph is in a dark dark place and he’s about to crash and burn. He refuses to comforted. Can’t sleep. Can’t eat. Nothing will help him. Classic anxiety and depression.

He tries some self help measures to comfort himself. One is to remember the way things used to be. The good ole days. At least he had something good to dwell on. I suppose it was good attempt but a failed one at that. Unfortunately the mental coping mechanism of remembering the good ole days only made things worse. He actually does deeper into his darkness and starts to say irrational things. He’s still in a bad place place.
But here’s what I love about our God. I believe that in God’s grace he gave Asaph an aha moment that changed everything. Read Asaph’s Aha moment below in Ps. 77:10-12.

Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.”

Do you see the pivotal change for Asaph? He decided to remember who his God is and what he had done in the past. This was his new focus. Not his current crappy circumstances.
Now look at how he puts into practice his remembering who and what God is in the verses below:

13 Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
15 You with your arm redeemed your people,

Asaph shifts his thinking from his current situation to the fact that God is holy (vs. 13) and great. His God works wonders (vs. 14) and is mighty. God has redeemed his people (vs. 15).
Is this mental games Asaph is playing? Mind over matter? No, I don’t think it is. I believe he is choosing to shift his perspective on the truth of his God in the midst of his situation. Even though he was experiencing terrible life circumstances he knew someone who would never change or let him down. He knew his God had worked wonders in the past and was capable of working the mighty now. Remembering who his God is gave him a hope and a resolve that he didn’t remember he had.
Check out Asaph’s new attitude after remembering who his God is:

When the waters saw you, O God,
    when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
    indeed, the deep trembled.
¹⁷ The clouds poured out water;
    the skies gave forth thunder;
    your arrows flashed on every side.
¹⁸ The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
    your lightnings lighted up the world;
    the earth trembled and shook.
¹⁹ Your way was through the sea,
    your path through the great waters;
    yet your footprints were unseen.^[c]
20 You led your people like a flock
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Do you hear the difference in Asaph’s perspective and heart cry? Maybe you need to reread the first 9 verses of Psalm 77 if you don’t just to compare. Asaph has a new battle cry. It’s not a self inflicted pity party. It’s a victory chant of sorts. Don’t you hear his soul rallying in his words? He is in an all out jam session of his God. To me we see the crux of his realistic resolve when he says, “Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.” He is reminding himself that God was there in the past, although unseen, and he will be there for him now even though it doesn’t feel like it and he can’t see him.