Psalm 107

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
3 For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south.
4 Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless.
5 Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died.
6 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress.
7 He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live.
8 Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
9 For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery.
11 They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High.
12 That is why he broke them with hard labor; they fell, and no one was there to help them.
13 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
14 He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains.
15 Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. 16 For he broke down their prison gates of bronze; he cut apart their bars of iron.
17 Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins.
18 They couldn’t stand the thought of food, and they were knocking on death’s door.
19 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.
21 Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. 22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.
23 Some went off to sea in ships, plying the trade routes of the world.
24 They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action, his impressive works on the deepest seas.
25 He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves.
26 Their ships were tossed to the heavens and plunged again to the depths; the sailors cringed in terror.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits’ end.
28 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
29 He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.
30 What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor!
31 Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. 32 Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation.
33 He changes rivers into deserts, and springs of water into dry, thirsty land.
34 He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands, because of the wickedness of those who live there.
35 But he also turns deserts into pools of water, the dry land into springs of water.
36 He brings the hungry to settle there and to build their cities.
37 They sow their fields, plant their vineyards, and harvest their bumper crops.
38 How he blesses them! They raise large families there, and their herds of livestock increase.
39 When they decrease in number and become impoverished through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
40 the Lord pours contempt on their princes, causing them to wander in trackless wastelands. 41 But he rescues the poor from trouble and increases their families like flocks of sheep.
42 The godly will see these things and be glad, while the wicked are struck silent.
43 Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.

The story is told of a man who was about to lose his house to the bank. It was his own fault. He was overextended. He was angry and bitter as he shared his predicament with co-workers. After all, the bank should have never loaned him the money for the house in the first place. They knew he couldn't pay for it. Now, they were going to ruin his life by taking the home back.

And...there we have the sub-prime mortgage crisis.

Without explanation his boss came to him and advanced him the money he needed to recover his home. The man was untouched...barely said "thank you." After all, his boss was wealthy and could easily afford it. He took the money and bought a boat. And, not a thought of obligation to his boss.

Nobody ever knew his boss had come to the rescue...

David says we sometimes are guilty of similar lack of gratitude toward God. Our drift from God always has the same effect. Our lives lose the flavor of the Divine. We don't look, act, or feel like a child of God. A Christian writer once asked "if you were accused of being a christian...would there be enough evidence to convict you?" He knew what he was asking.

You know how to tell if it's you? David comes right out and says it..."Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!"

There we have it. The "litmus Test" of faithfulness is our zeal for sharing our good fortune. The greatest consequence of straying from God is we no longer feel a compulsion to share the blessings of salvation with others. We live a redeemd life. We are on our way to heaven...to live eternally at peace with God...and we don't tell a soul. I doubt that you count yourself among them, but 90% of Christians admit they have never shared the story of their salvation with another person.


In spite of it all...God is willing to sort us out. When we cry "Lord, help...He saves us from our trouble." No wonder David says "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever."

I don't want you to get all morose and guilty about it. I want you thank God for the gift of your salvation. I want you to thank God that He offered a simple non-threatening indicator that let's us know when we're off track. I want you to open your mouth and let the good news flow. You know what? "Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord."
Live boldly out there today...