He is Worthy to be Praised Forever!

Psalm 107

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!
Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
3 For he has gathered the exiles from many lands,
from east and west,
from north and south.

4 Some wandered in the wilderness,
lost and homeless.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
they nearly died.
6 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he rescued them from their distress.
7 He led them straight to safety,
to a city where they could live.
8 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
9 For he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.

10 Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom,
imprisoned in iron chains of misery.
11 They rebelled against the words of God,
scorning the counsel of the Most High.
12 That is why he broke them with hard labor;
they fell, and no one was there to help them.
13 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom;
he snapped their chains.
15 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
16 For he broke down their prison gates of bronze;
he cut apart their bars of iron.

17 Some were fools; they rebelled
and suffered for their sins.
18 They couldn’t stand the thought of food,
and they were knocking on death’s door.
19 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them,
snatching them from the door of death.
21 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.

23 Some went off to sea in ships,
plying the trade routes of the world.
24 They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action,
his impressive works on the deepest seas.
25 He spoke, and the winds rose,
stirring up the waves.
26 Their ships were tossed to the heavens
and plunged again to the depths;
the sailors cringed in terror.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards
and were at their wits’ end.
28 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
29 He calmed the storm to a whisper
and stilled the waves.
30 What a blessing was that stillness
as he brought them safely into harbor!
31 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
32 Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation
and before the leaders of the nation.

33 He changes rivers into deserts,
and springs of water into dry, thirsty land.
34 He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands,
because of the wickedness of those who live there.
35 But he also turns deserts into pools of water,
the dry land into springs of water.
36 He brings the hungry to settle there
and to build their cities.
37 They sow their fields, plant their vineyards,
and harvest their bumper crops.
38 How he blesses them!
They raise large families there,
and their herds of livestock increase.

39 When they decrease in number and become impoverished
through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
40 the Lord pours contempt on their princes,
causing them to wander in trackless wastelands.
41 But he rescues the poor from trouble
and increases their families like flocks of sheep.
42 The godly will see these things and be glad,
while the wicked are struck silent.
43 Those who are wise will take all this to heart;
they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.

The first three verses here really set the stage for the rest of the chapter. We see attributes that worthy to give thanks for on a daily basis. Goodness, faithfulness, unconditional love, redemption from sin & protection for those who are cast off from others. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!

Verses 4 through 9 let us know that God cares for the homeless, lost, hungry and thirsty. When they cry to Him for help He rescues them. He will lead them to safety, a place where they can live, eat and drink. He does this with good things, not bad things. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!

Verses 10 through 16 show us that God will also help those who are in darkness, depressed & miserable. When they cry for help He will be there to lead them out of the darkness and depression. He will break the chains of their misery. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!

I like the way the Message Bible renders verses 17-18:

Some of you were sick because you'd lived a bad life,
your bodies feeling the effects of your sin;
You couldn't stand the sight of food,
so miserable you thought you'd be better off dead.

When these people cry for help God is there. Verse 20 says it best, "He sent out His Word and healed them". What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!

Verses 23 through 32 depict how God interacts with the natural world. How He works with the oceans and wind and the waves. They can be stirred up to bring confusion, disorientation and distress. With one word He can calm any stormy seas and bring to peace any bad weather. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!

Verses 33 through 38 really show us a picture of God that lets us know that in any climate, in any weather, in any drought that He is in control. He can turn what looks like a famine into a return 100 times what was planted. Where on earth did I get that from? I will show you:

Genesis 26:1-6 & 12-15

1 A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.

2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. 3 Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. 4 I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 5 I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.” 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

12 When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. 13 He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow. 14 He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. 15 So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac’s wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham.

If God can do it for Isaac then He can do it for me and He can do it for you. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!

Verses 39 through 43 show us again that God will not allow His children to be wiped from the earth. It says that when they are low in number and are oppressed, troubled and sorrowful that He will cause those who are bringing this on His children to become confused and to wander about. He rescues the poor from trouble and bring increase to their household. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!

Father I thank You for Your everlasting love for me and for all who read this. I praise Your name forever because it is worthy to be praised! I thank You for all that You have done for me, in me and through me and I praise You that You are not done with me yet. I am truly honored to serve You and to be called one of Your children. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever! Amen.

Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)

The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).

Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved