“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress…Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind…Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress…Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.” Psalm 107:6,8,13,15
Psalm 107 praises God for his steadfast love, and for his faithfulness to his people when they cry out to him in distress. But what is truly amazing is the description of those who ‘cried to the Lord in their trouble.’ They are those who wandered hungry and thirsty in desert wastes, unable to find an inhabited town for help; they are those who had rebelled against the words of God and therefore sat as prisoners in darkness and gloom. They are those whose sinful ways made them physically ill; they are those who were doing business on the seas and were caught in a storm. Some were simply misguided, some were caught up in circumstances beyond their control, and some were willfully disobedient to God, yet all cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
Many people today only cry to the Lord when they’re in trouble, and he’s just as likely to deliver them as he is to deliver those who are in constant relationship with him. God’s love is greater than ours, and he does not hold a grudge when one of his beloved children is in trouble.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. If we recognize and enjoy his steadfast love when he saves us from our troubles, imagine how much more we can recognize and enjoy his steadfast love if we remain in constant relationship with him.
Let us pray. God of steadfast love, you will never forsake your people. Turn our hearts to you, that we may call out to you with praise and thanksgiving, as well as when we’re in trouble, that we may always recognize your wonderful works to humankind. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
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