Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary and gathered from lands, from the east and west, from the north and from the south.
All kinds of things people get into, many of them of their own making, yet the Lord will deliver them from them all if only they will call upon Him. He will deliver anyone who calls upon Him. He is rich in mercy to ALL who call upon Him.
Psalm 50:15 – And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.
First Case – V 4-9:
Some wandered in desert wastelands finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.
Some people spend their lives like this spiritually and emotionally, wandering about in the wastelands, finding no way to a place where they can rest. They are restless, hungry and thirsty for life and peace and rest – so much so that their lives are ebbing away. They faint and life no longer seems worth living.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.
Many times when people wander around in a wilderness, it is because they got off the path. People who follow the Good Shepherd, the Light of the world, do not wander about in darkness but walk in the light.
Matthew 9:36-38 – Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.
1 Peter 2:25 – For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
He doesn’t want us to wander about in the wilderness in the darkness. When we follow Him, we won’t.
John 12:35-36 – Then Jesus said to them, a little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.
John 8:12 – Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.
John 12:46 – I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
Wandering about in the wilderness is not the will of God for us; it is the result of us missing His path. But even if our trouble is self induced, the Lord will deliver those who cry out to Him. He delivers them from their distresses and leads them by a straight way – so that they are no longer wandering about in the wilderness. He leads them directly to their goal.
Proverbs 4:18 – But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
His path for me isn’t a path through darkness. His path shines brighter and brighter. If I walk in darkness I must be off of His perfect path. If I follow Him, I will not walk in the darkness but will have the light of life. When I see His way and walk in it and follow His direction for me, I will not be walking in the darkness.
Let them give hanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for me, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Lord, when I cry, you also deliver me from my distress. Thank you for leading me by a straight way to a place of peace where I can settle and enjoy life. Thank you that you satisfy my thirst and fill my hunger with good things.
Second Case V 10-16:
Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom (the shadow of death), prisoners in misery and chains, for they had rebelled against he words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High. So He subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
Psalm 143:3 – For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has smitten my life down to the ground; he has made me to dwell in darkness as those that have been long dead.
Luke 1:79 – Jesus came to… give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.
Many live their lives in darkness and gloom, even as a Christian, because the don’t take His word seriously and apply it to their lives and sometime just because of ignorance and negative ways of thinking.
There are results when we know the word and don’t do it and when we don’t even know the word. We can live in bondage when we rebel against His word. If we refuse the Word, there is no help. But if we cry out tp the Lord, He will save and deliver us from things we bring on ourselves. He will bring us out of darkness and the shadow of death and break all bondage.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their bands apart.
Lord, lead me out into the light fully and completely and teach me what I don’t yet know – how to fully enjoy life and good things!!! Give me light and guide my feet into the way of peace again. Bring me out of darkness and deepest gloom and break away the rest of the chains that have bound me.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men, for He has shattered gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.
Third Case – V 17-22 (Healing)
Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent forth His Word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave. He delivered hem from their destructions.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for me. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and el of His works with songs of joy.
Fourth Case – (V 23-32)
Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, His wonderful deeds in the deep. For He spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits’ end ( all their wisdom was swallowed up).
I have been here many times too, out in the storms of life to where my courage melted away, reeling and staggering like a drunken man, at my wits’ end, having done all I know to do with no results that I can see, all my wisdom swallowed up.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper and caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for me. Let them exalt Him in the assembly of he people and praise Him in the council of the elders.I
Summary:
He changes rivers into a wilderness and springs of water into a thirsty ground; a fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it. He changes a wilderness into a pool of water and a dry land into springs of water; and there He makes the hungry to dwell, so that they may establish an inhabited city, and sow fields and plant vineyards, and gather a fruitful harvest.
If He doesn’t lead us out of the wilderness, He makes the wilderness a fruitful place.
Also He blesses them and they multiply greatly, and He does not let their cattle decrease. When they are diminished and bowed down through oppression, misery and sorrow, He pours contempt upon princes and makes them wander in a pathless waste. But He sets the needy securely on high away from affliction, and makes his families like a flock. The upright see it and are glad; but all unrighteousness shuts its mouth.
Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things, and consider the loving kindnesses of the Lord.
One thing I notice when I consider these cases and the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord is that their problems were in most cases of their own making. They weren’t’ something God sent to them. In the last case, they just happened upon a storm.
The mercy of the Lord is shown in that He delivered them when they cried out to Him even out of things their own sin, rebellion, ignorance, missing His best way caused. He will do the same for me. That is the mercy of the Lord He wants me to consider and know.e seen the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths; their soul melted away in their misery. They reeled and staggered like a drunken man, and were at their wits’ end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they were quiet, so He guided them to their desired haven.
In the business of life while trying to follow the Lord’s plan for my life, I many times get into a storm. The waves seem to rise up to the heavens and down to the depths. It melts my soul so that I reel and stagger like a drunken man and come to my wits’ end. But when I cry to the Lord, He will bring me out. He will cause the storms of life to be still and hush the waves. Then it is peaceful and quiet again so He can guide me to my desired haven.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men! Let them extol Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him at the seat of the elders.
