Wednesday Devo Copy
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:
107:17–22 Third Group: Those Who Suffered for Their Own Folly. Some of the exiles were fools through their sinful ways: their own folly (the stupidity that results from turning away from God) brought on their affliction, so that they loathed any kind of food. Nevertheless God heard and relieved them when they cried to the LORD in their trouble. In context, healed them is not simply the relief of bodily ailments (v. 18) but also their return to the Promised Land. These people should thank the LORD, specifically with sacrifices of thanksgiving (see note on 50:7–15; cf. 116:17), using songs of joy in their worship to tell of God’s deeds.
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:
In Psalm 107:17-22, the Psalmist introduces us to "The Sinful," flatly calling them fools who suffered deep affliction because of their perversions and iniquities. This group represents a severe level of rebellion where individuals actively chase after things that are wicked, making sinful habits their primary focus. As Paul warns in Romans 1, a foolish heart refuses to acknowledge God, leading to a life completely unraveled by greed, malice, and deception. Tragically, the hallmark of foolishness is hitting rock bottom, watching everything fall apart, and still desperately clinging to the very choices that caused the destruction. These individuals press even harder into their rebellion, walking all the way to the very gates of death before they are willing to wake up.
The sinful need the rescue of God to the exact same degree as the stranded and the shackled. No group is fundamentally better or further off, because any separation from God results in total spiritual helplessness. This passage is explicitly designed to bring deep conviction to our hearts, but never ultimate condemnation. When the sinful finally reached the door of death and cried, "Lord, help!", God did not turn them away in disgust. Instead, He sent out His Word, Jesus Christ, to heal them, snatching them from the grave.
The sinful need the rescue of God to the exact same degree as the stranded and the shackled. No group is fundamentally better or further off, because any separation from God results in total spiritual helplessness. This passage is explicitly designed to bring deep conviction to our hearts, but never ultimate condemnation. When the sinful finally reached the door of death and cried, "Lord, help!", God did not turn them away in disgust. Instead, He sent out His Word, Jesus Christ, to heal them, snatching them from the grave.
- It's easy to spot foolish choices in someone else's life, but much harder to recognize them in our own. Is there an area where you know your choices are pulling you away from God, yet you keep convincing yourself it's "not that bad" or "just one more time"? Why do you think it's so hard to let go?
- All four groups in Psalm 107 ended up in desperate need of God's rescue. How does that challenge the way you think about your own sin and the sins of others? Why is it important to remember that every one of us is completely dependent on God's grace?
- God didn't wait for the sinful to clean themselves up before responding to their cry for help. Is there something you've been hiding from God or from other believers because of shame? What's one step you can take to bring it into the light and begin walking toward healing?
Prayer Topics:
- Ask God to give you an honest view of your own heart. Pray that He would reveal any patterns of sin you've grown comfortable with and give you the courage to turn back to Him.
- Thank Jesus that He came to rescue sinners, not people who have it all together. Praise Him that His grace is greater than your failures and that He welcomes everyone who cries out to Him.
- Confess any sin you've been excusing, hiding, or refusing to let go of. Ask God to replace your shame with His forgiveness and to help you walk in the freedom and healing that only He can give.
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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