Psalm 107:3-9 (Part One) - The Lost and Homeless Praise the Lord
Today I'm starting a series taken from Psalm 107. It's a psalm that reflects on four groups of people who are stretched to the breaking point, where they are faced with a life or death crisis. In each case, they cry out, "Lord, help!" and God rescues them.
The psalm starts out with:
v.1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
v.2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
Then the first group is described: those who are lost and homeless...
v.3 For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south.
v.4 Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless.
v.5 Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died.
v.6 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress.
v.7 He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live.
v.8 Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
v.9 For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
(New Living Translation)
The exiles in verse 3 were Jews, sent into captivity. They had not listened to God, so God let them be dispersed in every direction, away from their country, away from the fallen capital city of Jerusalem.
How often do you hear the expression, "I'm dying of thirst" or "I'll die of hunger"? For some people, that's not just an expression. Think of the lost and homeless refugees in many places around the world who have no resources. Some have fled warfare or life-threatening situations only to find themselves without the basic necessities to sustain life.
Not to minimize the desperate straits of others, one can still have a sense of being "lost and homeless," even when one has an apartment or house. A sense of being disconnected and isolated, even when surrounded by people.
Or there are times when a person feels like they are dying--whether they are or not. They, too, may cry out, "Lord, help!"
Whether literally or figuratively, God "satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things."
"Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them." Amen
The psalm starts out with:
v.1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
v.2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
Then the first group is described: those who are lost and homeless...
v.3 For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south.
v.4 Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless.
v.5 Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died.
v.6 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress.
v.7 He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live.
v.8 Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
v.9 For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
(New Living Translation)
The exiles in verse 3 were Jews, sent into captivity. They had not listened to God, so God let them be dispersed in every direction, away from their country, away from the fallen capital city of Jerusalem.
How often do you hear the expression, "I'm dying of thirst" or "I'll die of hunger"? For some people, that's not just an expression. Think of the lost and homeless refugees in many places around the world who have no resources. Some have fled warfare or life-threatening situations only to find themselves without the basic necessities to sustain life.
Not to minimize the desperate straits of others, one can still have a sense of being "lost and homeless," even when one has an apartment or house. A sense of being disconnected and isolated, even when surrounded by people.
Or there are times when a person feels like they are dying--whether they are or not. They, too, may cry out, "Lord, help!"
Whether literally or figuratively, God "satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things."
"Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them." Amen
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