June 2024

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; he saved them from their distress.

-Psalm 107:19

Psalm 107 is one of those Psalms/songs that employs a repeated refrain in order to drive its message home. Throughout the Psalm, the singer speaks of how people got into trouble as the result of their wandering, or their rebellion, or their foolishness, or their adventures. Then, in their distress, they cried out to the Lord, and he saved them. We are all encouraged to give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love, and to remember how the Lord acts towards the needy.

Such Scriptures remind us that God is merciful; that even though we deserve to suffer the consequences of our behaviors, God is still there to deliver those who cry out to him. It’s a message to us when we are prodigal or whenever we find ourselves in desperate need. God is far more eager to deliver us than to discard us.

Humility is always the appropriate attire for anyone approaching God, whether rich or poor. Sometimes we may feel more confident approaching God when we have had a good week, as if God’s love were somehow dependent on our deserving. At other times, when we have failed miserably, we are far less confident in approaching God, expecting less love (as if God could give us anything less than God).

Though it is true that, for our own good, God will generally allow us to experience the consequences of our behaviors, God’s loving-kindness remains steadfast and inexhaustible. God’s intentions towards us don’t change: He desires to redeem us and make us new. Even when we aren’t faithful, God is. However and whenever we return to God in humility, we shall always discover our Lord to be BETTER than we expected. As the Psalmist says in verse 43: “let whoever is wise pay attention to these things and consider the LORD’s acts of faithful love.”

The lesson of this Psalm is to always return to God. Cry out to the LORD in your distress, trusting in the LORD’s faithfulness. That is the foundation of faith in God, as discovered by countless folks who humbled themselves and trusted in the saving power of the Lord. That is my testimony, too.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Matthew