I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
– Psalm 77:12
In the course of life, one of our ongoing challenges is to keep our thinking sound. Circumstances, particularly unpleasant ones, have a way of getting our minds out of whack (is there such a thing as “in whack?”). When this happens our perception of reality gets distorted. Our mindset toward things, or people, or God, becomes skewed. We draw inaccurate conclusions, and consequently make unproductive decisions. As it is with many aspects of life, it is this way in our thinking about God.
The Dictionary app on my computer defines ponder: “to think about (something) carefully, especially before making a decision or reaching a conclusion.” Pondering allows us to think and act with all necessary things considered. The opposite would be to think or act rashly or impulsively. In life there are times when snap decisions must be made. Nevertheless, experience teaches us that under-informed decisions frequently lead to less-desired results. A little pondering may be of great value.
Psalm 77 runs along familiar contours within the psalms. It begins by giving voice to a troubled spirit. The writer cries out to God in a time of need. In the second part of verse 6 the writer begins to frame questions, and in verses 7-9 they are given clarity. Will the Lord spurn forever? Has God’s love forever ceased? Has God forgotten to be gracious? We can appreciate the questions. They express key elements of how we understand God. Then in verse 10 there is a crucial turn. The psalmist appeals to the history of his people, to the God that has been known throughout their generations. The remainder of the psalm is a recounting of God’s character and His deeds. These are the things to be pondered.
Do you see what happens? The psalm begins where we find ourselves so often: tempted to make conclusions about God based on our immediate need. If that is the only information we factor, we may conclude that God is uncaring, unfaithful, callous to our need. But what happens when we ponder? It gives our hearts and minds an enlarged space for important information to be weighed. We are saved from making inaccurate conclusions about the character of God, which further saves us from extinguishing any embers of hope that may be struggling for survival.
There is a condition known as tunnel vision. It is a real visual defect that prevents a person from seeing things that are not in the center of her visual field. Informally, tunnel vision describes a person who seems to be focused solely on one thing, unwilling to consider other things that are important. In our thinking about God, we should guard against tunnel vision. Certainly we will never comprehend all there is to know about God. Still, our perspective of God should be mature, a healthy and whole picture of His perfect nature demonstrated repeatedly through his faithful works. When circumstances are causing your spiritual vision to narrow, remember to ponder.
Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend thee;
surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with His love He befriend thee.
– Joachim Neander
The Winding Path 