BLOG POST #5- ACTS OF FAITHFUL LOVE: PSALMS 107

"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!"- David writes in Psalms 107:2a.

And well, who are the redeemed? They are described in the verses that follow...

The Reedemed:

1) The Lost and Empty (Psalms 107: 4 - 9)

-David describes them as a people who wandered around wastelands with no direction, while suffering from severe hunger and thirst. Sound familiar? Ever been desperately lost during a season of your life- unable to find comfort or peace in anything around you?

-But something amazing happened when these people cried out to the Lord in their distress... He delivered them! He lead them on a straight path, and through Him they found what they were looking for.

2) The Bound (Psalms 107: 10 -16)

-These people were ones who had found themselves behind bars. Locked up externally (literal prisoners) and also internally- in their hardened, rebellious hearts. They rejected God's Word and found themselves stuck in strongholds, now forced to have their stony hearts humbled. How many times have we been these people- full of pride and spoiled?

- But thankfully,God doesn't leave us to rot in the consequences of being rebellious. David describes how God breaks the strongholds that seem impenetrable! When repentant cries are heard, He bursts through anything to free those who belong to Him.

3) The Foolish (Psalms 107: 17- 22)

-Now this group is... special. They had some ways about them-some habits, some behaviors, some things they were indulging in that made them foolish and unwise. They continued in these things, which lead to some self-inflicted pain and suffering. David writes that a part of their affliction was, "loathing any kind of food." Essentially, they loathed sustenance, nourishment, LIFE. So in their aversion to life, they drew closer and closer to death! Before you judge them for letting things get that bad, think about the last bad habit you had, and the amount of time it took you to break it. Think about all the times you intentionally continued that habit despite knowing it was causing you harm and killing you spiritually. Riiiight...

-But even still, God displays His love and grace. When they cry out, He repairs the minds of the foolish! He breathes life into them through His Word, healing all afflictions.

4) The Self-Sufficient (Psalms 107: 23 - 32)

-These people, "went down to the sea in ships." Here's why that's important to know. For those in David's time, the sea was a literal body of water, but it also represented chaos and death. This was because it was unpredictable and they didn't have enough advanced technology to guarantee safe trips across it. Most of the ships people used were small and vulnerable- having fragile skeletons made of wood, nails, a little bit of iron, and sometimes tar. A windy boat-ride could result in lost lives. So those who willingly went out to sea likely did so for survival or business-related reasons. In this Psalms, these people went down to the sea for their own business reasons. While out there, they witnessed the wonderful works (creations) of the Lord- from creatures in the deepest parts of the sea to a powerful storm that threw them all around (literally). The experience totally stripped them of control and left them in awe! These people- probably some of the bravest and toughest people around- were shook to the core by God Almighty!

-So why are these people important? They're not necessarily bad or doing anything wrong. These are the self-sufficient ones. They're like us independent people who know how to handle our business and get things done. We (them and us) tackle the hard things in life with a false confidence and bravery. But God sees the danger in that ignorance of our own fragility! He sees the dangerous waters we wade through and on His own timing, decides to make His presence and power known to us. We find ourselves terrified of drowning in a situation we can't figure our way out of and there He is ready to calm the storm.

But, God does more than just redeem people- He redeems the land (Psalms 107: 33-42). This is true to His character, which we are reminded of prior to this in Psalms 94: 14. It reads, "For the Lord will not forsake His people; He will not abandon His heritage."The Hebrew word for heritage is "morasha," which also means legacy or inheritance. So, in other words, the Lord will not abandon His children that He has placed so much love and value into. We have inherited every good thing from Him including salvation through Christ- and because of that and His love, He remains faithful to us.

So back to the land- David describes how God transforms fruitful land into "salty waste," for those who do evil. The ground is as bitter as their unrepentant hearts. But for His redeemed, he transforms a desert land into "pools of water," granting them the provision and blessings they need to establish themselves and "multiply greatly." Not only does He redeem US, but He redeems our SITUATIONS. He takes His new creation and places it where it can flourish. If that isn't proof of His faithful love, then I don't know what is.

To finish...

Psalms 107 starts AND ends with a call-to-action. It's not about practicing religion- forcing yourself to be thankful with a heart that doesn't agree. Instead, it's calling you to remember why you're thankful! Consider these acts of the Lord's faithful love- the many ways He redeems us all and has redeemed you!

-Righteous Are We

-C.H.C