Say so - Devotion for 5/21/07

Say so – Devotion for 5/21/07

Over past year I have developed a new appreciation for the Psalms. More and more as I have read different ones (I the same Psalm every day for a week, and then get a new one), I have just realized that many times the Psalms are just heartfelt prayers being uttered in praise, and sometimes in desperation. Some Psalms you can easily see how they were used in early worship – some as songs, some as responses, some as reminders of what God has done throughout history.

My Psalm for this week is Psalm 107, and this morning I was captivated by its storytelling. The Psalm seems to have four different images or stories, but all conveying how the people in each situation should give thanks to God for His loving kindness. The first image is of travelers who maybe lost their way (v. 4-9), but when they cried out to God, “He delivered them out of their distress. He led them also by a straight way, to go to an inhabited city”(v. 6-7). The second image is of prisoners in a dungeon (v. 10-16), but when they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, “He saved them out of their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their bands apart”(v.13-14). The third image is people who have become sick and afflicted (v. 17-22), but when they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, “He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.” And the last image is of sailors on a boat in the midst of stormy waters (v.23-32), but when they cried to the Lord in their trouble, “He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed” (v.28-29).

I love the way as these four images/stories are told, as we find out how God came in and saved the day there is this verse: “Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men!”(v. 8, 15, 21, 31) I think it is truly imperative that every time God answers our cries that we ought to be giving thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness. But the next part becomes a little more difficult for us. You see, the next part that the Psalm instructs is that we would tell others:
Verse 22 – “Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of His works with joyful singing.
Verse 32 – “Let them extol Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him at the seat of the elders.”

All of this goes back to the way the whole Psalm 107 began – first by telling people to give thanks to the Lord, and “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” (v.2). I think that each day we need to try to live up to this. Acknowledge the things we have to be thankful for, and tell God how grateful we are. But then there is a burden upon us that we would “say so” to others – let someone else know what God has done. When you are willing, God will give you opportunities for you to “say so.” Sometimes He gives you those opportunities even when you aren’t so willing. So what will it be? Will you “say so”? What has God done for you?