Psalm 107:1-43 At Our End, He IS
Through the steadfast love of the Lord we see “His wondrous forks to the children of man!” Because at our end He is always there when we cry out.
I’m more that certain that this psalm was written by one of the children of Israel. It wouldn’t have made it into this compilation if it wasn’t. But the message isn’t just for Israel; it’s for ALL of us. “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south” (verses 2-3). I think that about covers all the directions we have in our world.
The psalmist then goes on to describe some of the circumstances the redeemed might be facing at the time of their rescue. He listed about everything he could think of and reminded us that NONE of these situations are beyond God’s reach. When I am in trouble I have to call out to Him. He WILL hear and answer us. He WILL deliver us. He has already redeemed us. We need to accept that work and walk in the freedom that it offers.
I started thinking about the word “redeemed” and decided to look it up. Google defines “redeemed” as having gained or regained possession of (something) in exchange for payment. There is no greater redemption story that that of Jesus’ work for us.
Man originally belonged to God. He made us, gave us EVERY good thing, and loved us without bounds. Man thumbed his nose at such extraordinary love and listened to Satan’s lies. God could have left it there. He could have washed His hands of the whole thing; but He didn’t. Instead, He worked tirelessly to free us and return us back to Himself; to redeem us. The price to redeem us was MORE than any amount of gold. It was a price that no ordinary man could pay. The price was a life for a life.
It couldn’t be just any life though because each life here on earth was already in bondage. It had to be a life free from bondage to sin. The ONLY life that could possibly fill this role was God’s own Son. He took on human for to become that exchange. It was love that brought Him to the manger. Love was His constant companion as He walked the dusty roads of Israel. And love compelled Him to the cross. NO GREATER LOVE has EVER been shown.
His love redeemed me from sin that was my master. The price He paid was SO great that it included ALL mankind. There is not a single person who was left off the list or a single sin. ALL who would accept it are welcome.
He hears when we cry out to Him and He answers. “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress” (verse 6). Again and again this is told of the Lord. Not once does it say that He turned a deaf ear or told them “Talk to the hand.” His love is steadfast forever! Even when we bring about our own suffering, He STILL hears and answers when we cry out to Him, up to the very moments of death.
For His love alone He deserves praise! But He doesn’t stop there. His actions on our behalf are beyond comprehension. He loves the unworthy AND gives them good gifts. PRAISE GOD!
He makes the unrighteous righteous, makes the sinner a prince or princess, gives life to the dead, and walks beside those who choose Him for the rest of eternity. There is NO WHERE else I would rather be than by His side, unless it is on my knees in front of Him offering Him praise.
Father God, I KNOW I didn’t earn my salvation. I have done nothing that makes me worthy of all the gifts You give me each day. I didn’t even deserve it when You pulled me from my sin. But You did it anyway! So many times You have pulled me back from some mess I have stumbled into or even run to. You always bring me back to Yourself. THANK YOU!
I know today has been disjointed with all the things pulling at my attention. I PRAY I have listened to Your Spirit instead of running off on my own. I NEVER want to be where You aren’t, especially when it has to do with Your word. I don’t want to offer any confusion or false words to myself or anyone else. Thank You for walking with me during this crazy day. Quiet my spirit Lord for the remainder of my day. I think I’ve had enough overload for one day. Actually I can feel You answering this ‘cry’ before I even finished it. THANK YOU Father. Thank You for being there at the ‘end’ of me today too.
