Read
BOOK V
(Psalms 107–150)
The Lord Is Good
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.
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