Psalm 107 – The Lord Delivers Us From Distress
(by Goh Sook Wah)
This is a Psalm of praise to God for His deliverance of His people from every crisis as they cry out to God in their distress.
The Psalmist described four different situations that the Israelites experienced as they return from their exile in Babylon to the Promised Land.
1. They were lost in the wilderness in hunger and thirst. (Verses 4-9)
2. They were chained in captivity and tormented. (Verses 10-16)
3. They were afflicted with sickness and were near death. (Verses 17-22)
4. They were in peril at sea due to a big storm. (Verses 23-32)
Even though in some cases, they were afflicted because of their own foolishness and wrongdoing, God still answered them and delivered them in their distress each time they cried out to the Lord for help.
God’s goodness was seen not only in their deliverance from crisis but also in His transformation power over nature and humanity. He transforms creation itself and addresses iniquity and injustices through His mighty acts against all wickedness in favour of those who are oppressed and afflicted.
The refrain “Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness” is a fitting response to God and is repeated five times in the Psalm.
The Psalm concludes with a call to the people to ponder over how the Lord responds in love to those who cry out to Him for help and how He can bring down those who are high and mighty and raise up those who are downtrodden.
With this wisdom, we will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.
Let’s Read Psalm 107
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.
4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,
prisoners suffering in iron chains,
11 because they rebelled against God’s commands
and despised the plans of the Most High.
12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness
and broke away their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
18 They loathed all food
and drew near the gates of death.
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.
24 They saw the works of the Lord,
his wonderful deeds in the deep.
25 For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
that lifted high the waves.
26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril their courage melted away.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards;
they were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
29 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.
31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.
33 He turned rivers into a desert,
flowing springs into thirsty ground,
34 and fruitful land into a salt waste,
because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
35 He turned the desert into pools of water
and the parched ground into flowing springs;
36 there he brought the hungry to live,
and they founded a city where they could settle.
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards
that yielded a fruitful harvest;
38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
and he did not let their herds diminish.
39 Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled
by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
40 he who pours contempt on nobles
made them wander in a trackless waste.
41 But he lifted the needy out of their affliction
and increased their families like flocks.
42 The upright see and rejoice,
but all the wicked shut their mouths.
43 Let the one who is wise heed these things
and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.
Let’s Pray
Dear God, our heavenly Father we thank you for your lovingkindness to undeserving sinners like us. Your love and mercy endure forever and you readily respond to our cries of distress and delivers us from our afflictions. You have the power to transform every situation and work out your purposes in our lives. May we draw close to you and entrust our lives into your loving hands. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
This devotional was kindly contributed by Dr. Chow Li Sze and her channel Heavenly Devotion. You may find the channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/HeavenlyDevotion/videos
About the Heavenly Devotion channel
The Heavenly Devotion channel is dedicated to encouraging you to listen to Bible Scriptures and pray with the Scriptures. They are inspired by the call of service as expressed and exemplified by Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:12-15.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrew 4:12 NKJV)
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