Living Understanding Pt 7: Give thanks
Psalm 107 1Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 3those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. 4Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. 5They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. 6Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 7He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. 8Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, 9for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. 10Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains, 11because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the plans of the Most High. 12So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. 13Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 14He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. 15Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, 16for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron. 17Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. 18They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. 19Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 20He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. 21Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. 22Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy. 23Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. 24They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful deeds in the deep. 25For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. 26They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. 27They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wits’ end. 28Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. 29He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. 30They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. 31Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. 32Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders. 33He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, 34and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there. 35He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; 36there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. 37They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; 38he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish. 39Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled by oppression, calamity and sorrow; 40he who pours contempt on nobles made them wander in a trackless waste. 41But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks. 42The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths. 43Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the LORD.
Let the redeemed tell their story.
This Psalm is my favorite Psalm, far beyond the ones most people point to, like Psalm 91 or 51. Every single aspect of the human condition is addressed here, and after each struggle and solution we are shown the way out is through the exaltation of our Lord. Occasionally, I find myself really low and close to depression, so I turn to this Psalm to find myself somewhere within its verses. Our lives ebb and flow. It is easy to praise God when good things happen (when our lives are flowing), but not so when they are not. Honestly, I tend to shut down, go internal, and isolate when my life is ebbing and this is exactly the wrong thing to do because it just makes the struggle worse.
One of the lies our Enemy tells us is that people don’t want to hear theses things; that we should ‘stuff’ them. This Psalm tells exactly the opposite story.
He satisfies…He heals…He stills…He lifts…
I don’t suppose it is realistic to think that times will always be good. We live in a fallen world; stuff happens. Sometimes those unpleasant things are the result of other peoples’ actions and sometimes they are the consequence of our own stupidity. It really doesn’t make any difference though because it all hurts. But when we are faltering or flailing aimlessly God still provides. When the Psalm speaks of water for the thirsty or food for the hungry, it is pointing out that God helps us endure and get beyond the struggle.
God is not a distant God. He is intimate and loving, and he wants his children to do well. All of us want our children to do well. So when we mess up, or when things happen not of our creation, he wants to show us the way out. But he won’t violate our free will; we wants us to choose him and so find the answer.
Let them give thanks.
No matter what the source of our struggle, wallowing in it is not the solution. The correct solution, though not the popular one in our century of self-determinism, is to cry out to the Lord for help. The cool thing is to realize that God responds and delivers us from whatever our struggle is. If we are hungry and thirsty, he leads to a source of nourishment. If we are imprisoned by cultural or actual oppression, he breaks the chains that bind. If we are ill or even near death, he brings us back from the edge. If our course through life is rocky or filled with stormy seas, he clears the way.
There are some who might say this is nonsense; that God doesn’t act this way anymore, especially in modern lives. I say that is nonsense. Those people who have determined God doesn’t act anymore are the same ones who deny that God even exists. No surprise there.
The King James version of this Psalm opens with ‘Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.’ That means we should tell family and friends about our struggles and how God has helped us through them. When we give testimony about God’s love, we honor him, we show our gratitude, and we return his love. More than that though is that we tell the world about Him. After all, we are not islands in a storm; other people go through similar struggles; other people need to hear that God is real and God helps.
One more thing to remember: Times of obstacle are not one-time events. We are sinful; we continue to make mistakes. And we often fail to learn from them, or at least we need many reminders. Parents should teach their kids about their life experiences. My father would often do so in a sort of stumbling way and in my teenage know-it-all attitude I dismissed everything he said. But I will tell you, my father surprised me by how much he learned while I was growing up.
What about me?
If life is hard, there is no better time than the present to consider why it is hard. Beloved reader, do you have a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus? If not, find a believing friend and ask him or her to help you. Life will never be completely easy, but it can be made better. First, and this is difficult, take time to look truthfully at the significant moments in your life. How many times did you take wrong turns? Second, look at your friends and acquaintances. Are they toxic? Is it time to make a change?
But the most important thing: Cry out to God. I literally mean cry. Or yell! It is still called prayer, and that is exactly what God wants you to do. He knows everything anyway, but he wants you to be vulnerable and trusting enough to tell it all to him. Out loud! There is something in the telling, yelling, crying, and praying: It helps our soul be healed. God listens and so should we, because part of praying is listening to what God has to say in response. So pray, listen, respond! God will help.