SCRIPTURE:
"Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies."
Psalms 107:2 (NLT)
OBSERVATION:
This simple psalm starts out with a praise; “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, His faithful love endures forever.” The writer then takes us through scenarios of how God’s people found themselves in places of distress; situations that led only to despair and hopelessness...
And it’s in these scenarios that the people took the action they needed; the NIV phrases it well;
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.”
Psalm 107:13
In the NLT translation they took the liberty to simplify it further, quoting the people as saying, “...”Lord, help!”, they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.”
And each time, without fail, the LORD led the people out of their calamities...
- out of wandering and exile, to a home and a place of belonging...
- out of prisons of darkness and gloom and imprisonment, to a place of liberty and freedom...
- out of the pain and suffering of the folly of the "dis-ease" of sin, and into a place of healing and restoration...
- and even from the brink of being shipwrecked in the storm, led into waters that the LORD calmed Himself, to safe passage and a way home.
In each scenario the people cried out, “Help, LORD!”, and the LORD delivered.
These are the things the psalmist implores us to say so, as those redeemed by the LORD.
APPLICATION:
There’s a quote by Dr Seuss that is one of my favorites. “Sometimes the answers are simple and the questions are complicated.”
I sometimes shame myself by easily forgetting that when I’m caught up in a storm of life, wandering in a figurative land between exile and Home, or imprisoned by circumstances, or even caught bleeding out by my foolishness of self-inflicted sin, that the power of the LORD is just a cry away.
And the LORD is NOT impressed by any kind of fancy, wordy, carefully crafted prayers that attempt to imply some kind of piety...but it’s as simple as a “Lord Jesus, help!” that catches His ear and spurs Him to do what He does best.
To lead us unto paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
And when He does--because He always does--it really is my charge to say so, to tell of the goodness of Jesus and the power that really does set us free!
Let the redeemed of the LORD, SAY so.
PRAYER:
So, thank You Lord Jesus, for Your faithful love, even after we ourselves sometimes aren’t that faithful, turning to our own paths thinking we can shortcut ourselves to wholeness outside of You.
May we always proclaim Your goodness and mercy... to tell how Your love for us is accessible as simply as calling out to You, “Help!”
Thank You for that, Lord!
Amen!
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