He is Good!

Psalm 107 starts with two simple statements... vs. 1 "Give thanks to
the Lord for He is good!" and "His faithfulness endures forever."
These messages are great to actually think about. Since almost every
song or hymn we hear or sing in church contains variations of those
themes, we tend not to pay attention. But what can be better than God?
And how great is it that there is no end to His faithfulness?
The psalm also offers up a bunch of examples. Vs. 4-9 - they wandered
in the desert, cried out to God, and He led them to safety. Vs. 10-14
- they were prisoners, they cried out and He saved them.
Is anyone else seeing a theme here? I doesn't seem to matter how
difficult your situation is. If you cry out to God he will save you.
It really is that simple!
But the Psalm isn't all about being saved. It also talks about God
using those difficult times to drive a message home. Starting at vs
33... "He changes rivers into deserts, and springs of water into dry
land. He turns the fruitful into salty wastelands because of the
wickedness of those who live there. But He also turns deserts into
pools of water, the dry land into flowing springs." The verse makes it
clear that you turn your back on God at your own peril. God wants us
to need and trust him. It has nothing to do with being punished for
sins, God knows we are going to keep sinning. But if you know how much
you need God, if you embrace Him, you will witness this faithful love.
There's also a challenge in this psalm. When we "praise" God, we're
not supposed to just do it quietly in our homes or generically at
church.
Vs 2 - "Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has
saved you from your enemies!"
Well, do I have a story for you!. Without getting into great detail,
I was trapped by a very persistent enemy, called anxiety. It was
gaining strength over me, and I was powerless. But when it finally
became to much, a group of caring people came to me, and together we
cried out to God. I put it all on Him. God saved me from that enemy,
and although he still comes sniffing to the gates once in a while, God
has consistently kept that enemy at bay.
So take this challenge this week. Tell someone how God has impacted
your life.
"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures
forever!"
Submitted by Greg Vandermeulen