Day 198.
Psalm 107:1-4 ESV
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
The call of the Psalmist is for is to give thanks for the goodness, displayed in the steadfast love of the Lord for us, that is, for the redeemed. Why? Because the redeemed are those that have been rescued from trouble. This psalm carries us through several examples.
Psalm 107:5, 10-11, 17, 23-26 ESV
Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to a city to dwell in;
hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them…Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
prisoners in affliction and in irons,
for they had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High…Some were fools through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities suffered affliction…Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the great waters;
they saw the deeds of the Lord,
his wondrous works in the deep.
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their evil plight…
Here we see the various ways we struggle and are lost. The good news about these lost conditions is that they bring our own need before us and lead us to call on the Lord, opening our eye to see His mighty hand at work on our behalf. This is the pattern. “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.” In each case, whether from our own sin or selfish and failed pursuit, the Lord answers.
Psalm 107:7, 14, 20, 29-30 ESV
He led them by a straight way
till they reached a city to dwell in…He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and burst their bonds apart…He sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destruction…He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
This is the pattern of redemption. This is why we worship! The wondrous works of the Lord have been made known to us personally. “Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!”
And so the Psalm ends with the exhortation
Psalm 107:43 ESV
Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.
So let us!
