Psalm 107

The Song of the Redeemed

This has long been my favorite Psalm.  I will speak more of that later.
But today as I read it, after having read Psalm 105 and 106 first, it had greater meaning.  Psalm 105 is about How God chose, covenented with and established His people, Israel. Psalm 106 speaks of Israel's constant rebellion and ungratefulness, and of God's continuous grace and mercy toward them.   Then Psalm 107 sings the song of those redeemed by the Lord.

I love the flow of this Psalm.....First there is the exhortation to praise Him for His goodness and mercy, citing how He has rescued and gathered them from the ends of the earth.

This is a well written song....with 4 stanzas, each with the same refrain:

  "Oh that man would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to        the children of men!"
(This is an appropriate line after Psalm 106, where they continually 'forgot' God's mercy toward them.)

Following each refrain are 4 statements of God's goodness and praise to Him.

There are 4 scenes of distress:  wandering in the wilderness, prisoners, illness, and stormy seas.

Following the scenes of distress with their refrains, comes a tribute to the Sovereign God, who watches over the affairs of man, ruling with justice and mercy.
He turns "abundance into barrenness, and poverty into exaltation.......the first because of human wickedness; the second because of His lovingkindness." (NKJV notes)

I love the simplicity of the last verse:    
   "Whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understanding the lovingkindness of the Lord."
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Yes.   See and understand who God is....and only then will you know your own great need, and be able to comprehend His great mercy and kindness.  Also understand that suffering is a result of sin and rebellion against Him.

Verse 27--30 are my favorite verses, and have been for years.
   "They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits end. 
Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses.  He calms the storm, so that its waves are still.  They they are glad, because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven."

Becoming a single mother when my children were ages 9, 6, 4, and 2, while trying to finish nursing school......many, many days were spent staggering, it seemed, reeling to and fro.  Then I saw in part His rescue when I cried out to Him., but now, in hindsight I see so much more!  I certainly don't always get what I want in the way that I envision getting it, but His answers are always so much better!  He does indeed calm the storm, if only the one raging inside while outside our circumstances are quite tempestuous. In all, He has made me glad, and as other psalms have said...
"He has set my feet in a broad place."