The God Who Hears and Intervenes
This ended being a great Sunday for me. I had an early morning meeting with the Allies Men’s ministry team to work on logistics for our upcoming retreat. I then enjoyed having Steve Harris help me with a chapel service at Mackenzie Place in the morning and Jerry Pippin play the piano for an afternoon chapel service at Collinwood. Jerry is one of the best pianists that I know. I had fun, leading some old hymns, praying for the people and preaching. If I had Jerry as a pianist when I was a pastor in a rural community over 30 years ago, we could have grown the church to a large number. Jerry and his wife Virginia lead the seniors ministry at Timberlines and were a great support during my hospitalization.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.…Let them give thanks to the Lord for His faithful love and His wonderful works for all humanity. Psalm 107:1,8 HCSB
Psalm 107 is a psalm of thanksgiving for the faithfulness of the Lord. In the process, it reveals the faults, troubles and trials that God’s people brought on themselves. They experienced the hardship of their own choices, they cried to the Lord and the Lord delivered. That seems to be the sequence that we can observe throughout time.
Throughout the psalm we find a description of the troubles and trials that came to God’s people and we read repeatedly, “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He rescued them from their distress.” (Psalm 107:6,13,19,28) I’m glad for the Lord’s patience and loving kindness. He relentlessly hears our cry and rescues us from distress, even of our own making.
What is to be the response to a God like this? It is to be one of grateful praise and thanksgiving. “Let them give thanks to the Lord for His faithful love and His wonderful works for all humanity.” (Psalm 107:8,15,21,31 HCSB)
Look at the litany of God’s wonderful works and interventions available for “all humanity.” Remember that He is still doing the same today in our lives and circumstances.
“He rescued them from their distress. He led them by the right path to go to a city where they could live.” (Psa. 107:6,7) Praise God, He can direct us to where we need to be. He Rescues from the curse of sin and darkness and puts on a path to a heavenly home.
“For He has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things.” (Psa. 107:9) Let God be the One who satisfies the true need of your life. The true needs of humanity are met in Him
“He brought them out of darkness and gloom and broke their chains apart.” (Psa. 107:14) Praise God that He is a deliver. He brings light to darkness and breaks the chains of hopelessness and despair.
“He sent His word and healed them; He rescued them from the Pit.” (Psa. 107:20) Praise God that God’s Word is powerful to heal and to rescue.
“He stilled the storm to a murmur, and the waves of the sea were hushed….Then He guided them to the harbor they longed for.” (Psa. 107:29-30) For the lost, harried and storm tossed, Jesus speaks “peace be still” into our lives and we can arrive at the place we have always sought.
“He turns a desert into a pool of water, dry land into springs of water. He causes the hungry to settle there, and they establish a city where they can live. They sow fields and plant vineyards that yield a fruitful harvest.”
(Psa. 107:35-37) Praise the Lord that He creates fruitfulness where there is desolation. He provides what is needed, where it is needed…in abundance.
“…He lifts the needy out of their suffering and makes their families multiply like flocks.” (Psa. 107:41) Praise the Lord, He brings comfort to our suffering and cares for those, we care for the most.
Finally, it is imperative that we don’t treat the Lords provision with contempt. We need to stop, ponder, observe and commit our lives to the One who can intervene in our present and secure our future. “Let whoever is wise pay attention to these things and consider the Lord’s acts of faithful love.” (Psa. 107:43 HCSB)