Let everyone give all their praise and thanks to the Lord!
Here’s why—he’s better than anyone could ever imagine.
Yes, he’s always loving and kind, and his faithful love never ends.
So, go ahead—let everyone know it!
Tell the world how he broke through
and delivered you from the power of darkness and
has gathered us together from all over the world.
He has set us free to be his very own!
(Psalm 107:1-3 TPT)
I love the way God’s Word can have a “rhythm” and a “flow” to it. I was rereading Psalm 107 this morning and heard this sequence:
–Call to praise
-Reasons to praise
-How desperate we were
-Crying out for God’s rescue
-God’s rescue of us
-Respond with praise
Here are the first parts of Psalm 107, for an example of this flow.
Some of us once wandered in the wilderness like desert nomads,
with no true direction or dwelling place.
Starving, thirsting, staggering,
we became desperate and filled with despair.
Then we cried out, “Lord, help us! Rescue us!” And he did!
He led us out by the right way
until we reached a suitable city to dwell in.
So lift your hands and thank God for his marvelous kindness
and for all his miracles of mercy for those he loves.
How he satisfies the souls of thirsty ones
and fills the hungry with goodness!
Some of us once sat in darkness,
living in the dark shadows of death.
We were prisoners to our pain, chained to our regrets.
For we rebelled against God’s Word
and rejected the wise counsel of God Most High.
So he humbled us through our circumstances,
watching us as we stumbled, with no one there to pick us back up.
Our own pain became our punishment.
Then we cried out, “Lord, help us! Rescue us!” And he did!
His light broke through the darkness and
he led us out in freedom from death’s dark shadow
and snapped every one of our chains.
So lift your hands and give thanks to God for his marvelous kindness
and for his miracles of mercy for those he loves!
For he smashed through heavy prison doors and
shattered the steel bars that held us back, just to set us free!
Some of us were such fools, bringing on ourselves
sorrow and suffering all because of our sins.
Sick and feeble, unable to stand the sight of food,
we drew near to the gates of death.
Then we cried out, “Lord, help us! Rescue us!” And he did!
God spoke the words “Be healed,” and we were healed,
delivered from death’s door!
So lift your hands and give thanks to God for his marvelous kindness
and for his miracles of mercy for those he loves!
Bring your praise as an offering and your thanks as a sacrifice
as you sing your story of miracles with a joyful song.
Some of us set sail upon the sea to faraway ports,
transporting our goods from ship to shore.
We were witnesses of God’s power out in the ocean deep;
we saw breathtaking wonders upon the high seas.
When God spoke he stirred up a storm,
lifting high the waves with hurricane winds.
Ships were tossed by the swelling sea, rising to the sky,
then dropping down to the depths,
reeling like drunkards, spinning like tops,
everyone at their wits’ end until even sailors despaired of life, cringing in terror.
Then we cried out, “Lord, help us! Rescue us!” And he did!
God stilled the storm, calmed the waves,
and he hushed the hurricane winds to only a whisper.
We were so relieved, so glad as he guided us
safely to harbor in a quiet haven.
So lift your hands and give thanks to God for his marvelous kindness
and for his miracles of mercy for those he loves!
Let’s exalt him on high and lift up our praises in public;
let all the people and the leaders of the nation know
how great and wonderful is Yahweh, our God! (Psalm 107:4-31 TPT)
I don’t know where your life is right now in this sequence. Do you hear the call to praise and the reasons to praise? Are you in a place of desparation, crying out for God’s rescue? Do you know the immediacy of God’s presence and how he is even in this moment rescuing you? Are you responding with praise? Maybe you are in more than one of these places right now. “Some of us” once did things we shouldn’t have done, but when we cried to the Lord for help, he did! He rescued us, and so we praise him by lifting our hands and thanking God for his marvelous kindness. Today, let us remember and respond with praise for what God has done in our lives.
Loving God,
We give praise and thanks to the Lord our God. You who are always loving and kind and have delivered us from the powers of darkness and set us free. Thank you for rescuing us, for your miracles of mercy, and for your Light that breaks through our darkness and leads us out in freedom. Thank you for stilling our storms, claiming our waves, and guiding us safely to harbor. Thank you for raising up the poor and lowly with your favor and giving them blessings. We are glad when you silence the evil ones in our world. We exalt you and lift our praises to you, our great and wonderful God. Amen.
(adapted from March 18, 2022 post)