Monday Devo
Scripture:
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.[a]
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.
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.[a]
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.
Commentary:
107:4–9 First Group: Those Who Wandered in Barren Places. This is the first group of those who were banished from the land as a result of the exile: some of the exiles wandered in desert wastes, such as the Sinai Desert (cf. 106:14; Deut. 32:10). finding no way to a city to dwell in. Their proper home was the Promised Land, but God had sent them away. When they cried to the LORD, God delivered them, bringing them to a city to dwell in (Ps. 107:7, which answers v. 4). The proper response is for them to thank the LORD for his steadfast love. The Lord has done wondrous works for his people in the past (cf. 105:2, 5; 106:7, 22), and the restoration of Judah to Jerusalem after exile is a crowning achievement. Even as this applies to the whole community, God also satisfies the longing soul, i.e., the particular members of the restored community who recognize God’s grace in their own lives.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1079.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1079.
Questions:
Psalm 107 opens with a foundational truth that dictates how we navigate every season of life: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever."
Understanding God’s constant, everlasting goodness is essential, because without it, we will throw a fit or abandon our faith when misery strikes.
The first group the Psalmist identifies is "The Stranded", those who wander in desert wastes, lost, hungry, thirsty, and nearly dying. We often find ourselves stranded not in physical deserts, but in the digital wasteland of mindless social media scrolling, searching for a connection that never satisfies. Our flesh falsely promises fulfillment in these spaces, yet the longer we linger, the more disconnected, empty, and spiritually starved we actually become. We try to fill our deep, soul-level hunger with lesser things, only to find our spirits entirely dry and devoid of joy. Yet, it is precisely in this place of painful helplessness that God invites us to drop our self-sufficiency.
When the stranded finally reached the end of themselves and cried out, "Lord, help!", God met them right in the middle of their misery. He did not leave them to die, instead, He led them straight to safety and filled their hungry souls with good things. Sometimes, experiencing spiritual hunger is actually a severe mercy designed to drive us back to God.
Understanding God’s constant, everlasting goodness is essential, because without it, we will throw a fit or abandon our faith when misery strikes.
The first group the Psalmist identifies is "The Stranded", those who wander in desert wastes, lost, hungry, thirsty, and nearly dying. We often find ourselves stranded not in physical deserts, but in the digital wasteland of mindless social media scrolling, searching for a connection that never satisfies. Our flesh falsely promises fulfillment in these spaces, yet the longer we linger, the more disconnected, empty, and spiritually starved we actually become. We try to fill our deep, soul-level hunger with lesser things, only to find our spirits entirely dry and devoid of joy. Yet, it is precisely in this place of painful helplessness that God invites us to drop our self-sufficiency.
When the stranded finally reached the end of themselves and cried out, "Lord, help!", God met them right in the middle of their misery. He did not leave them to die, instead, He led them straight to safety and filled their hungry souls with good things. Sometimes, experiencing spiritual hunger is actually a severe mercy designed to drive us back to God.
- Where do you feel empty right now? Maybe you're tired, discouraged, lonely, or just going through the motions. When you feel that emptiness, what do you usually reach for to make yourself feel better?
- Psalm 107 says God satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. What does that teach you about God's heart toward people who are weary, wandering, or running on empty?
- What would it look like to replace one habit of distraction with one habit of dependence this week? Whether it's five minutes in God's Word, an honest prayer, or simply sitting quietly with Him, what's one step you can take?
Prayer Topics:
- Thank God that His love never ends. Praise Him for being the One who welcomes wandering people home and satisfies the deepest needs of your soul.
- Confess the ways you've tried to fill your heart with things that could never truly satisfy.
- Ask God to show you where you've been looking for satisfaction apart from Him. Pray that He would give you a deeper hunger for His presence than for the temporary things of this world.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
6. Is the Bible God’s Word? Jesus proved He is God by rising from the dead and said the Old Testament was God’s Word and gave authority to the Apostles to write the words of the New Testament, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so that all the words of the Bible are God’s Word.
(Matthew 5:18; Luke 24:27, 44; John 14:25-26, 15:27, 16:12-13, 17:20; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21)
(Matthew 5:18; Luke 24:27, 44; John 14:25-26, 15:27, 16:12-13, 17:20; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21)
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