Pondering, Worrying...or just Thinking

I was thinking about how often I wonder about the things of God…how He moves, how He works and how little I really understand of His ways. I happened to be reading Psalm 77 and saw the writer himself talking about “pondering” the works of the Lord and how he “muses” on the deeds of God. The context in this Psalm is of a wailing, doubting, worrying follower who fears that God has forgotten him.

Sometimes I feel like that too, especially if I have been doing a lot of “pondering”, i.e. "worrying". What is so great about this Psalm is how the writer does a complete 180 in one song. He starts with suggesting that God has changed His character, forgotten His grace and withdrawn His compassion. But then…he ponders some more. He reminds himself of the wonders of God, the works of God and the faithfulness of God.

Sometimes I feel badly that I do so much wondering. I think I should just be able to trust without thinking, to rest in God without worrying.

I am wrong about this. God doesn’t mind that we ponder…in fact it would probably be good for us to ponder more than we do. How often do we allow ourselves to let our minds wander around and about God? We may start with worry…but if it can become a time of thinking, reminding ourselves of truth. Then it becomes a great time of thinking!

I get intimidated sometimes by the concepts of meditation or contemplation. Those terms can sound hyper spiritual or daunting. But they’re not. They are just longer words that mean “to think” and to let yourself be absorbed in thinking. Thinking can be a long, wandering time of thoughts rolling around in your head, of arguing with yourself and then coming to conclusions. God can use that time of thinking…He likes us to think.

I am always trying to bully my thoughts into submission and not let myself worry or doubt God. Yet, I wonder if it is healthier to let our anxious thoughts wander along and then let God gently guide our ponderings into truth? Can we trust the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts? I think so. Just look at Psalm 77. Here he is, worrying, afraid to think that God has maybe changed or forgotten him, or even that God is mad at him. And then, he turns it around. He thinks some more and then he remembers what is true.

“Your way, O God, is holy; what god is great like our God?” vs. 13.

I’m going to try to stop worrying about “over thinking” things and instead try to calmly “ponder”.