Devotion • November 27
Today's Scripture
Psalm 107
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to an inhabited town;
hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress;
he led them by a straight way, until they reached an inhabited town.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.
For he satisfies the thirsty, and the hungry he fills with good things.
Some sat in darkness and in gloom, prisoners in misery and in irons,
for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
Their hearts were bowed down with hard labor; they fell down, with no one to help.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress;
he brought them out of darkness and gloom, and broke their bonds asunder.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.
For he shatters the doors of bronze, and cuts in two the bars of iron.
Some were sick through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities endured affliction;
they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress;
he sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.
And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices, and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.
Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the mighty waters;
they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep.
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their calamity;
they reeled and staggered like drunkards, and were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress;
he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.
Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground,
a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water.
And there he lets the hungry live, and they establish a town to live in;
they sow fields, and plant vineyards, and get a fruitful yield.
By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their cattle decrease.
When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
but he raises up the needy out of distress, and makes their families like flocks.
The upright see it and are glad; and all wickedness stops its mouth.
Let those who are wise give heed to these things, and consider the steadfast love of the Lord. (NRSV)
Reflection
This psalm probably was used in a group setting, perhaps at a religious festival. The Hebrews are celebrating freedom from exile, recounting their misdeeds and God’s punishments, but also praising God for God’s reliable benevolence.
Various examples of their sins or lack of faith are recounted. Note the use of “Some” (not “I” or “We”) at the beginning of verses 4, 10, and 17. Not everyone misbehaved or rebelled against God, but this is a corporate prayer, suggesting that responsibility is shared nevertheless. Fourth Church’s Prayer of Confession, always early in our Sunday services, is a corporate prayer, reminding us that, even if, individually, we think we have behaved well (perhaps near perfectly?), we are part of a community who need to remain aware of our obligation to strive harder to do right, to be faithful, to uphold and encourage one another to do and be better.
Psalm 107 continues on, recounting distress, afflictions, rebellious ways, famines, and other perils. Our twenty-first-century version of such trials might be different in kind, but for many of us, they feel pretty dire. The psalmist ends the long list of horrors briefly but firmly: “Be smart, be wise. Remember these experiences, whether they happened to you or to someone else, and know that God’s love triumphed and will triumph.”
Prayer
Loving God, thank you for your “unfailing love”; please “still the storm to a whisper,” “lift us out of our afflictions,” and help us always to remember “the great love of the Lord.” Amen.
Written by Rebecca Dixon, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
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