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Vignettes of Redemption Psalms Reflection

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BOOK V

(Psalms 107–150)

The Lord Is Good to His People

1 Shout praises to the Lord!

He is good to us,

and his love never fails.

2Everyone the Lord has rescued

from trouble

should praise him,

3everyone he has brought

from the east and the west,

the north and the south.

4Some of you were lost

in the scorching desert,

far from a town.

5You were hungry and thirsty

and about to give up.

6You were in serious trouble,

but you prayed to the Lord,

and he rescued you.

7At once he brought you

to a town.

8You should praise the Lord

for his love

and for the wonderful things

he does for all of us.

9To everyone who is thirsty,

he gives something to drink;

to everyone who is hungry,

he gives good things to eat.

10Some of you were prisoners

suffering in deepest darkness

and bound by chains,

11because you had rebelled

against God Most High

and refused his advice.

12You were worn out

from working like slaves,

and no one came to help.

13You were in serious trouble,

but you prayed to the Lord,

and he rescued you.

14He brought you out

of the deepest darkness

and broke your chains.

15You should praise the Lord

for his love

and for the wonderful things

he does for all of us.

16He breaks down bronze gates

and shatters iron locks.

17Some of you had foolishly

committed a lot of sins

and were in terrible pain.

18The very thought of food

was disgusting to you,

and you were almost dead.

19You were in serious trouble,

but you prayed to the Lord,

and he rescued you.

20By the power of his own word,

he healed you and saved you

from destruction.

21You should praise the Lord

for his love

and for the wonderful things

he does for all of us.

22You should celebrate

by offering sacrifices

and singing joyful songs

to tell what he has done.

23Some of you made a living

by sailing the mighty sea,

24and you saw the miracles

the Lord performed there.

25At his command a storm arose,

and waves covered the sea.

26You were tossed to the sky

and to the ocean depths,

until things looked so bad

that you lost your courage.

27You staggered like drunkards

and gave up all hope.

28You were in serious trouble,

but you prayed to the Lord,

and he rescued you.

29He made the storm stop

and the sea be quiet.

30You were happy because of this,

and he brought you to the port

where you wanted to go.

31You should praise the Lord

for his love

and for the wonderful things

he does for all of us.

32Honor the Lord

when you and your leaders

meet to worship.

33If you start doing wrong,

the Lord will turn rivers

into deserts,

34 flowing streams

into scorched land,

and fruitful fields

into beds of salt.

35But the Lord can also turn

deserts into lakes

and scorched land

into flowing streams.

36If you are hungry,

you can settle there

and build a town.

37You can plant fields

and vineyards that produce

a good harvest.

38The Lord will bless you

with many children

and with herds of cattle.

39Sometimes you may be crushed

by troubles and sorrows,

until only a few of you

are left to survive.

40But the Lord will take revenge

on those who conquer you,

and he will make them wander

across desert sands.

41When you are suffering

and in need,

he will come to your rescue,

and your families will grow

as fast as a herd of sheep.

42You will see this because

you obey the Lord,

but everyone who is wicked

will be silenced.

43Be wise! Remember this

and think about the kindness

of the Lord.

Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®) © 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
See this passage in other languages or Bible versions

Reflect

This psalm is different. It’s unique among the 150 psalms in the Bible because it presents us with various vignettes of redemption – brief stories or scenes where the Lord rains down his mercy and rescues the wayward and downtrodden.

In verse two the psalmist declares, “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.” He then goes on to describe five scenes of redemption. The desert-stranded traveller is rescued, the prisoner is set free, the rebellious are brought healing and encouragement, those lost in a storm-tossed sea find a safe harbour, and prosperity returns to the inhabitants of a parched wasteland. In every situation, the great God of heaven hears the cries of his people and shows them his plenteous mercy.

What a good God we serve! With the psalmist we exclaim, “His love endures forever!”

If you are a follower of Jesus, you too have a story of redemption to tell. He rescued you from a downward hellish spiral just as real as those described in this psalm. Some rescues come in the nick of time; others come early on. We might call them pre-emptive rescues. Whatever your personal story, it’s a testimony worth telling. God intervened in your life, and the good news is he stands ready to intervene again at the very moment you cry out to him.

He loves to redeem his people. It’s in his nature.

Respond

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for rescuing me from a life of rebellion, frustration and sin. Thank you for keeping me in step with you. Help me to tell my redemption story with confidence. Throughout this day help me to ponder the loving deeds of the Lord. You are with me. Your love endures forever. Amen.

David Kitz

David Kitz is an actor, an award-winning author, and teacher. For more than thirty years, he has served as an ordained pastor. His love for drama is evident to all who have seen his Bible-based performances. He has toured across Canada and United States with a variety of one man plays for children and adults. Raised in Saskatchewan, David now lives in Ottawa with his wife Karen. Books in print: The Soldier Who Killed a King, Little Froggy Explores the BIG World, Psalms Alive!, Tunks on Tongues

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