“Give Thanks To The Lord, For He is Good”
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Scripture:
Psalm 107:1-9 (KJV)
1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.
4 They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
6 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
7 And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Intro:
Does anyone have anything at all for which to be thankful? We hear so much negativity, bad news, pandemic, wars and strife. Our news is replete with the bad. I think it’s time for the church to start telling the Good News! I want to be the first, the loudest and the most enthusiastic.
Psalm 107 is a call to the Lord’s people to praise Him for His grace and power in their lives. The redeemed are called on to “give thanks”. This phrase has the idea of “extending the hands in praise and glory.” We are to praise Him because He is “good”. This word refers to that which is “beautiful, best, fine, kind, lovely and sweet.” That’s Him! We are to praise Him for His “mercy”. As you read this Psalm, it becomes clear that God was behind all the disruptions they encountered in life. While He might have been behind the pain, He did not forsake them to their problems. He worked in them to bring them to a place of restoration and blessing!
This Psalm was probably written after Israel had been delivered from their bondage in Assyria and Babylon. They are reminded of what the Lord allowed them to suffer because of their sins and of how the Lord delivered them when they called on Him by faith. They are reminded of the consequences of their sins and they are reminded of the grace God showed them in forgiving their sins and restoring them. They are called on to praise the Lord for His mercy and grace in their lives. They are also reminded that God is ever faithful to hear and restore those who call on Him!
There is a word here for us today. The saints of God are reminded of where the Lord found us and of how He delivered us from our terrible condition. Because He has moved in power, the redeemed are challenged to praise the Lord, v. 2-3.
By the way, the very fact that we have been “redeemed” is enough of a reason for the saints to praise Him! The very word “redeem” suggests the payment of a price. God redeemed us by sending His Son to die for us that we might be saved from our sins. I am saved today and headed to Heaven because the Lord Jesus Christ took my place on the cross, suffered my Hell and endured the awful wrath of God that was intended for me. That’s enough to praise Him for all eternity! He gives us even more reasons in these verses!
I want you to notice with me four divisions in this Psalm. They tell us of where God found us when He saved us. They also remind us that God still possesses all the power necessary to deliver us for what we face as His children in this life.
Even a brief glance at these verses reveals the truth that the Lord has delivered us out of terrible circumstances in the past. May we never forget that our God has never changed. The God Who delivered us in the past is the same God Who walks with us today!
James 1:17 (KJV 1900)
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Malachi 3:6 (KJV 1900)
6 For I am the Lord, I change not; Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Hebrews 13:8 (KJV 1900)
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Four Division in this Psalms (107)
1. Those Lost In The Desert v4-9
2. Those Locked in the Dungeon v10-16
3. Those Lying on the Deathbed v17-22
4. Those Laboring in the Deep v23-32
1. Those Lost In the Desert v4-9
A. Read Psalm 107:4-5
Their Problem v4-5 – That of Wanderers– The word means “to stagger.”
· They were alone, weak and nearly gone.
· We were all there when we were lost, some of God’s children are there today!
· Gone out of the right way, on their own, in the desert wilderness; very miserable since they can find no home or rest.
· They are what we might call the restless ones. They are the ones who wander about from place to place or from job to job from marriage to marriage, filled with questions and seeking to find where the answer lies. They are looking for something but they cannot find it. They keep wandering from place to place and from experience to experience, trying to find something to satisfy.
· Hungry and thirsty and they are despairing of life and have no hope of satisfaction.
Their Prayer v6 – They called on the name of the Lord
· The only place where help can be found!
Prayer is our opportunity to speak into the ear of God and see Him work in our lives, Jer. 33:3; Isa. 65:24; Phil. 4:6-7!
Jeremiah 33:3 (KJV 1900)
3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Phil. 4:6-7
Philippians 4:6–7 (KJV 1900)
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Their Provision v6-7 – Deliverance, Leadership, a new city
· He put us on a new road that leads to a new destination, Psa. 40:1-3.
· Remember, we aren’t home yet! There will be some hard places along the way, but we are headed to a city, Rev. 21:4!)
Their Praise v 8-9
· The saints are challenged to praise the Lord for His worthiness, His goodness, His perfect satisfaction.
· The saints of God should praise the Lord because we were wandering, alone and nearly dead in a desert place, until He came to us, saved us and led us out! He is our Guide!!!
2. Those Locked in the Dungeon
Their Problem v10-12
· They are in prisons of their own making. They have rebelled willfully against the commands of God and their rebellion has put them in chains.
· They are held prisoner by certain habits, by ideas, by thoughts, by attitudes that hold them in an iron grip. No matter how hard they try they cannot break the grip, despite the misery it causes. There are many things that can do this. Drugs can do it. Sex can also do it. A bitter attitude can do it, too.
· They are bound hand and foot, doomed to die. They feel stupid and ashamed because of their pitiful condition because it is of their own doing. They are without help and hope.
· Romans 7:24 “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
· That of a person with a terrible disease or sickness
Their Prayer v13
· They did the right thing and called on the name of the Lord! (Ill. The redeemed to not have to walk in bondage. We have a resource. We can take our burden to the Lord!)
Their Provision v13-14
· Delivered from bondage, death and darkness.
· Set free from their dungeon by the power of Almighty God! He is able to deliver you from whatever it is that may have you bound!
· This is the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ, Luke 4:18.)
Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,”
Their Praise v15-16
· They praise His worthy Name for breaking their bonds and releasing them from their bondage! You might be bound today, but the Lord can open your prison and set you free today. (Ill. Peter - Acts 12)
· (Ill. If saved, we have already been set free and have a reason to praise the Lord!) (Ill. How many times has He set you free from various trials since you have known Him?)
· The saints of God should praise the Lord because we were trapped in a terrible dungeon, chained in our sins and awaiting or execution. The Lord came to where we were and loosed out bonds, delivered us from our prison and set us free! He is our Deliverer!
3. Those Lying on the Deathbed
Their Problem v17-19
· Some people persist in sin and it results in sicknesses. It can also be a sickness of the mind or emotions.
· Really sin can be compared to leprosy.
· Takes away our moral feelings until bit by bit we are eaten alive. If no restoration of feeling then there is death.
· Because of the economy or a bad business deal, "It looks bad. I don’t know what happened, but suddenly I’m in a mess." They were able to solve their own problems in the past, and to escape one crisis after another. But with this trial, there seems to be no way of escape. They are mentally and physically exhausted.
Their Prayer v19
· They seek the face of the Lord for deliverance from their situation!
· The prayer that needs to be prayed is the one mentioned in 1 John 1:9 It is the prayer of confession and repentance!)
1 John 1:9 (KJV 1900)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Their Provision v19-20
· The Lord heard their prayer and sent the very thing they had hated to heal them! He delivered them from their affliction through the power of His Word! (Ill. The Bible is God’s Medicine Chest!)
Their Praise v21-22
· These restored people offer up the sacrifice of praise to the glory of the Lord. They are, in fact, paying their fee to the Great Physician, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”, Heb. 13:15. The saints of God should praise the Lord because we were afflicted with a deadly disease from which we could never recover. He came to where we were and administered the right prescription and healed us! He is our Physician!
4. Those Laboring in the Deep
Their Problem v22-27
· They are tossed about, suffer highs and lows, are weary, are dispirited, helpless, afraid, unsure of their next step, do not know where to turn. This is a word for those sailors navigating the stormy seas of life. Before Jesus found us, we were floundering at the mercy of the sea. Now that He has saved us, we still find that we are buffeted by the stormy seas.
Their Prayer v28
· These too found their help and deliverance in the Person of the Lord!
Their Provision v28-30
· He delivered them. He calmed their seas. He brought them joy, success, safety and peace. He brought them out of the storm and into the haven of rest!
· The storms of life may rage against you today, but I want to remind you that Jesus Christ is still the Master of the Sea!
· He can still walk on your water. He can still cry “peace be still” and the waves will be muzzled at His command!
· Just as He spoke to the waves and calmed them then, He can do the same today! He has not changed!)
Their Praise v31-32
· These folks are to praise the Lord is the assembly. They are not to hide in a corner and praise the name of the Lord, but they are to honor Him publically for His great display of power in their lives! Let those who have been delivered from the tempestuous seas of sin, Hell, death and trouble not be ashamed to raise their voices in praise to Him!
· The saints of God should praise the Lord because we were tossed about on the stormy seas of life. Our vessels were doomed to be dashed to pieces upon the rocks of God’s judgment. He came to us, walking upon our storm. He spoke peace to the waves that tossed us about and led us safely into the harbor of His grace. He is a Haven of Rest!
Conclusion
Wherever this message finds you today, I want you to know that God is still on His throne! He has not changed! His power has not waned. He is still the God Who saves!
So, if you have a problem today, the solution will be found in doing what all of those we have read about today did. You need to run to Jesus, tell Him about it, and get ready to be delivered!
• Because He is the Living Word of God,
• The Lamb of God,
• The only begotten Son of God,
• The Savior of the world,
• The Great Physician,
• The Bread of Life,
• The Water of Life
• The Light of the World,
• Our Great Redeemer, Great Jehovah
• The Open Door,
• The Great Shepherd,
• The Resurrection and the life,
• The Lord,
• The Way, the Truth, and the Life,
• The Giver of the Holy Spirit,
• The True Vine.
Yes, Jesus Christ is:
He is my friend who sticks closer than a brother
He is my doctor in the sick room
He is my lawyer in the court room
He is my bread when I am hungry
He is my water when I am thirsty
He is my wonderful counselor when I am confused
He is my peace in the midst of the storm
He is joy when I am sad
He is my Savior
He is my Lord who died upon the cross for our sins and He rose from the dead with all power in His hands. And if we put our trust in Him, He will give us eternal life.
If God has delivered you, you ought to say so.
If God has saved your soul, you ought to say so.
If God has blessed you, you ought to say so.
If God had woke you up this morning, you ought say so. b
If God had brought you from a might long way, you ought to say so.