Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction and irons— Because they rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High, Therefore, He brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze, And cut the bars of iron in two.
Psalm 107:10-16
Oh what a gloomy psalm …While the previous section of this Psalm (4-9) describes God leading His people out from the wilderness, where they were lost and homeless and so hungry and thirsty that they nearly died…this section describes God’s people as prisoners, sitting in darkness and the shadow of death – bound in affliction and irons. Why? The Scripture declares that it was because the people had rebelled against the words of their God, they had turned away from His instructions, and despised His counsel. So bad was their situation that they fell down, and the Psalmist says there was no one there to help them. It was then, at their lowest point, they cried out to God for help, or as one commentator put it, “God’s imprisoned people begged Him for help,” ~ “and He delivered/saved them from their distress, bringing them out of the darkness and shadow of death, and breaking their chains in pieces.” – I love the way David Guzik defines this answer from God as “pure grace and mercy.” Guzik goes on to quote commentator John Trapp, who said of this verse: “This is comfort to the greatest sinners; if they can but find a praying heart, God will find a pitying heart…”
They cried out to the LORD in their trouble: In their chains and hardship, God’s imprisoned people begged Him for help, and He answered. He saved them out of their distresses and broke their chains in pieces. This was pure grace and mercy from God; these prisoners were under God’s own discipline. Yet when they cried out to Him, He mercifully answered. (Guzik)
i. “This is comfort to the greatest sinners; if they can but find a praying heart, God will find a pitying heart, and rebels shall be received with all sweetness, if at length they return, though brought in by the cross.” (Trapp)
Enduring Word
Now, the psalmist again, and rightfully so, calls those who have seen and experienced such grace from the Lord to “give thanks to God for His goodness and wonderful works.”
Friends, where have you seen His grace and mercy … His goodness .. and His wonderful works? ` Let’s make it a habit, when we see these things, to stop and praise Him.
Sing Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
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.
To be clear, while God certainly provided for the people’s physical hunger and thirst, the Psalmist is also referring to a spiritual hunger and thirst rather than simply the physical need. For as Spurgeon explains: “They were lost in the worst possible place, even as the sinner is who is lost in sin; they wandered up and down in vain searches and researches as a sinner does when he is awakened and sees his lost estate; but it ended in nothing.”
First, the Psalmist calls the people to give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and loyal love, for He has delivered them from the power of their enemies. He has gathered them from foreign lands around the world. Yet, even in their freedom from the enemy, the Psalmist writes that they wandered through the wilderness with no place to live. They were starving and thirsty, but “they cried out to the Lord in their distress,” and He lovingly and compassionately led them to a place of provision.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his loyal love endures. 2 Let those delivered by the Lord speak out, those whom he delivered from the power of the enemy, 3 and gathered from foreign lands, from east and west, from north and south. 4 They wandered through the wilderness, in a wasteland; they found no road to a city in which to live. 5 They were hungry and thirsty; they fainted from exhaustion. 6 They cried out to the Lord in their distress; he delivered them from their troubles. 7 He led them on a level road, that they might find a city in which to live.
Psalm 107:1-7 NET
Thankfully, true physical starvation and unquenched thirst have never been a reality in my life. However, I have found myself wandering in spiritual deserts before, trying to find my way back to God, thirsting for His spring of living water, and hungry – not just to feast on His Word but to understand its truth. Today’s ‘thankful’ passage is a picture of Israel finding themselves in such a place. God had delivered them from their enemy, and they were now being “gathered” from every direction where they had been held captive. By the Psalmist’s description, some were led through a wasteland in the wilderness, where they found no place to live. They were hungry and thirsty, to the point of exhaustion — and they cried out to the Lord. And our God, the True and Living God, intervened on behalf of His people, Israel, and “led His redeemed to just the right place, to a city for a dwelling place.1 “
Friends, are you hungry and thirsty for God, and find yourselves fainting from the exhaustion of the physical and spiritual needs and wars of this world? Then cry out to the Lord in your distress and watch, for He will deliver you from your troubles and lovingly and compassionately lead you to the place of His provision.
Now, because of His deliverance, the Psalmist calls the people again to give thanks, not just for His loyal love butalso “for the amazing things He has done,” such as satisfying their thirst and hunger, both of body and soul.
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.
Oh, friends, have you noticed how God has satisfied your longing soul, and/or filled your hungry soul with goodness? Let’s ask Him to help us daily keep our eyes up and become more aware of His spiritual and physical provision, and less and less aware of our needs, that we may faithfully give Him thanksgiving for His goodness and for His wonderful works of grace and mercy toward us.
Today’s “Thankful” passage is part of a chain of verses that caught my attention this past weekend. I was originally led to verses 4-9. However, after reading the entire Psalm and realizing that it is a beautiful crescendo of words that are best read together, from the introduction of the Psalmist’s declaration of God’s enduring love, or “loyal love”, as one translation puts it — to the conclusion, where God’s wisdom allows us to understand His loving-kindness and we are led to praise Him all the more.
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.
Psalm 107:2-3 KJV
Sin’s Power Is Broken –
6 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:1-11 NLT
Friends, if you are a believer, it is so important to remember that we were once slaves to sin, and though freed from that slavery, we are still the target of our enemy, the devil. “He actively works to nullify the effect of the Word of God in people’s hearts (Matthew 13:3–4, 19), and he blinds the intellect of those who do not believe so they cannot understand the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4).1” The payment for our sin was death2, meaning we were desperately in need of a redeemer.3 God sent Jesus, our “Kinsman Redeemer,4” to pay the penalty we owed, so that we might not only live but have eternal life!5 His death on the cross broke the power of sin over all who put their faith in Jesus Christ.
While commentator, David Guzik, rightfully notes that, “We might be redeemed from the world, the flesh, the devil, or countless other snares. Here, the psalmist has in mind redemption from the hand of the enemy, probably connected with the exile of God’s people.” However, once we realize the detailed truth of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ, (outlined for us here and throughout God’s Word), would it not be the epitome of rudeness to be silent about such a great gift of His redeeming us from the power of sin and death? Oh, how little we must think of His great and unmerited gift of life, if we do not daily proclaim our redemption to Him with thanksgiving and to the people around us, that they might also be redeemed. After all, to declare our redemption is to make known the Gospel Message, of which we are ambassadors who are not to be ashamed, for the gospel message is God’s power to save.
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.
Romans 1:16
Friends, may we be faithful stewards of our words – both in praises to God and in sharing His redemptive plan with the world around us. – Or as the old chorus echoing through my mind says:
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so Let the redeemed of the Lord say so Let the redeemed of the Lord say so
I’m redeemed, I’m redeemed, Praise the Lord!
The More We Know
The word gospel means “good news,” which is the message of forgiveness for sin through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. It is essentially God’s rescue plan of redemption for those who will trust in His divine Son in order to be reconciled to a just and holy God.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord! Scripture says it, and I have personally found it to be true in my life. The writer of this Psalm obviously knew it to be true, for throughout the chapter, he calls his listeners/readers to proclaim God’s goodness. He also continues to reveal the goodness of God throughout the entire Psalm.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Ps.107:1
I love that the Psalmist not only calls us to give thanks but also tells us why to give thanks. He calls us to give thanks for two specific reasons that we are wise to remember and daily declare.
He is good.
His mercies (or loyal love) endure forever.
To know His goodness and mercies is a wonderful thing/feeling, but more than that, it is a catalyst for knowing Him intimately. His goodness and mercy allow us to know Him. They draw our eyes upward. They open our eyes to His love and kindness. They convince us of His faithfulness to never leave or forsake us. They are seen in His grace to save/deliver us from our sins, and in His power to transform us from the inside out. His goodness knows no boundaries – for God is only, always, good.
The gotquestions.org commentary explains it like this:“To say that God is good means that God always acts in accordance to what is right, true, and good. Goodness is part of God’s nature, and He cannot contradict His nature. Holiness and righteousness are part of God’s nature; He cannot do anything that is unholy or unrighteous. God is the standard of all that is good.”
Friends, let’s ask Him to open our eyes to see His goodness and mercy throughout the day, and may we be quick and faithful to give Him thanks, declaring aloud: ‘Thank You, God!’ For You are good and Your mercies endure forever!
Based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w5d5
Read: John 20:1-9 and Matthew 28:16-20/SOAP: Matthew 28:19-20
So the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain Jesus had designated. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Hey friends, today is the first day of November, which means Thanksgiving is just around the corner, with Christmas quickly following – BUT Easter is the highlight of today’s devotion and the main event of our FAITH – for great is the victory that overcame our sin! If you’re still journeying with me in this study, you won’t want to miss the beautiful and encouraging words from the Love God Greatly team that I’m sharing with you today.
“The Saturday of Easter weekend was one of the darkest days of human history. But then Sunday morning came. As the sun rose, the ground shook, and the stone that kept the tomb closed rolled back. Jesus had risen! The grave could not hold Him. Sin and death were defeated forever, winning our salvation. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest news ever. No longer do we have to stay in our sins or live without hope. Salvation and freedom are found through faith in Jesus. The rescue that was promised in Genesis 3:15 had been accomplished.” -From the Beginning to Forever, p163
Sisters, if you are not all kinds of excited and shouting hallelujah, please read that quote again – because it is the greatest message of hope there has ever been or ever will be! As believers, not only is it our hope in life and death, but we have been given the incredible task and privilege of sharing it with the world around us. Which, as today’s journal entry points out, “is not a commandment that we can opt in or out. It is one we are all meant to obey.”
Friends, please do not let this commandment unnerve you. It can be daunting for sure, but remember – when we share this message, we share the hope of eternal life with a lost and dying world.
What is our message of hope? JESUS LIVES!
Or, as the songwriter, Melody Green, wrote:
There is a redeemer Jesus, God’s own son Precious lamb of God, Messiah Holy one
Jesus my redeemer Name above all names Precious lamb of God, Messiah Hope, for sinners slain.
When I stand in glory I will see his face And there I’ll serve my king forever In that holy place.
Thank you oh my father For giving us your son And leaving your spirit ‘Til the work on earth is done.
May this be our first of many things to give thanks for in the days and weeks to come.
Join me on Monday for the final week of this journey.
Dearest Reader, if you do not know Jesus, the hope of the promised rescue, I would love to introduce Him to you. You can start with the link, Know These Truths, and/or contact me at mryelnb@aol.com or m.black@lmbc.org
Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children 2 and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. 3 But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. 4 Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting—all of which are out of character—but rather thanksgiving. 5 For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Ephesians 5:1-5
Paul has been teaching/reminding the believers how to live the Christian life. Specifically, he has been teaching them not to live by the sinful nature as they used to before salvation, but to live by the Spirit, living and loving like Jesus. Specifically, here Paul says, they are to be kind to one another, they are to be compassionate and forgiving, “just as God in Christ” forgave them.
Living He loved me…dying He saved me…buried He carried my sins far away…rising He justified, freely forever…one day He’s coming…O glorious day! ~hymn/chorus, Glorious Day
As believers, we are to live and love like Jesus, or as Paul writes here, we are to be imitators of God. When we follow Christ, we choose to consistently live and love like Him. We are to purposefully practice His way of life, which Paul explains to the Ephesians was not only a life of love, but one of sacrifice that pleased God.
Paul leaves no ‘wiggle room’ for the believers. He not only makes it clear what imitating God looks like. He makes it very clear what it does not look like, namely, sexual impurity of any kind…greed…vulgar speech…foolish talk…and/or coarse joking. Paul says that all of these things are out of character for a believer/follower of Jesus and goes on to say that our words should instead be filled with gratitude/thanksgiving. – Please note the More We Know section for helpful explanations on this list of ‘things not to do’.
While verse five is not our focus today, I believe it is important to understand the meaning behind it. God makes it very clear in His Word that we cannot lose the gift of salvation that He has graciously given to all who believe in His Son, (Eph 2:8-9) However, as Paul rightly points out here, when/if we are still choosing to live, act, speak, think in the ways of the old sinful nature that once ruled us, we would be wise to ask ourselves why. As Scripture says, we cannot serve the true and living God and the gods and the pleasures of this world. We must choose “whom we will serve” – the true and living God or the gods of the world and the flesh.
As you take this choice into consideration, consider first the words of Paul to the believers in Rome. He makes it very clear that one leads to death and the other to life. For if you live by the sinful nature, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. As you evaluate yourselves, be careful and honest in your evaluation. If you are living by the sinful nature ask God for help to turn from those practices and choose instead to walk in the power of His Spirit in you. Choose you this day whom you will serve; will that way lead to death or life and peace?
6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. 9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. 12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
Romans 8:6-13
May God help us be careful in our evaluations of ourselves. May we make no excuses for any actions or words that are not pleasing to Him. May we put to death anything in us that leads us away from God, and may we be filled and living faithfully by His Spirit.
Still living by the old sinful nature? Want to know the power and gift of life in the Spirit? Check out Know These Truths and let me introduce you to my Jesus, God’s gift of love and grace.
Over the past decade, Ann Voskamp has been a tool in God’s hands, by which He has reshaped my life, so it should come as no surprise that I am sharing one of her blogs with you while we traipse through some side trails as we await our next journey. The timing is perfect because it focuses on gratitude. However, the content is helpful to our walk of faith and, therefore, perfect for any time of the year. I pray it is a blessing.
My therapist says it steady, his eyes searching mine, reading my face.
And I turn away, as if not looking into his eyes but out the window, I can turn back all this startling wave of drowning ache.
“I’m kinda worried about you, Annie,” a friend comes looking for me after that therapy session. “You… okay?”
“Yes, of course, I am… and no, I’m not… and yes, I am. You know… ” I smile weakly, bravely, through everything brimming.
Every single one of us is walking through some kind of deep heartbreak, and real life strain, and if you look into people’s eyes, and ask the right tender question, there it is: a fracture of pain right up the side of their one life. Bruised relationships, and draining bank accounts, and weary dreams, and sheer mountains ahead of us, and who isn’t a bit tired of the fight called life?
This world is a broken-heart factory, and it’s full of His glory, and it’s only holding both of those, that you let go and find joy.
Ann Voskamp/Blog/When It’s Kinda Hard to Give Thanks
*Note:This is a bittersweet glimpse into her life and a glimpse of just some of the trauma and heartache she has known. If you’re not familiar with Ann and her writings, I encourage you to check out some of her blogs or pick up a copy of her book, One Thousand Gifts.
And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Eph. 5:20
The following is shared from a facebook post by Ann Voskamp on November 15, 2023. Ann is a joy to read and listen to. She is a catalyst of knowing, loving, and worshiping God. She plants seeds and nurtures them and today’s post is a beautiful example – Read each line, read them slow and let them soak in to the crevices of your heart, soul, and mind – and be prepared for joy to abound and thanksgiving to pour forth and become a habit that changes your life and touches the lives of those around you. I praise God for introducing her to me and for how He has used her to grow my faith and ignite a life of gratitude within me. I pray that she will be a blessing to you as well. – Me, from the insideout – 🦋
“As long as thanks to God is possible — then Joy in God is always possible.
But you better believe it: There’s a force in this world that does not want any of us to live in real joy.
Because Joy is dangerous — it’s igniting and contagious and otherworldly and it wins the war against the dark.
Joy isn’t Pollyanna– joy is revolutionary: Joy goes straight against the way the darkness spins.
Joy isn’t the optional feature of the Christian life. Joy is the operative feature of the Christian life –
Joy is a function of gratitude — and gratitude is a function of perspective.
So how do we see, how do we get and keep the perspective to see that there are gifts everywhere to be grateful for?
You trains your eyes to see gifts.
You make thanksgiving your life habit.
So we have got to pick up a pen & wield it like a sword & write down what we’re thankful for, & count gifts & fight this fight for joy because this is the thing:
Our God asks us to give thanks in everything —
because He knows this is the only way to live through *anything.*”
Response of Prayer
Father, thank You for the power of giving thanks and for the joy it ignites in us – a joy that is a force against the enemy and a contagion that spreads among Your people and brings You glory, praise, and honor! Thank You for Your servant, Ann. Thank You for the way You use her to touch and empower others with Your Word. Thank You for what she has taught me about giving thanks and how I have seen it change the way I think and respond and live. Use this post as a catalyst to ignite thanksgiving in the lives of those that read it – that You might be praised and the world around us might be impacted with life-long habits of thanksgiving and joy that flows from the gratitude. Train our eyes to see the gifts of Your grace and to respond with resounding praise! In and through the name of Jesus ❣ I pray – Amen!
It’s Tuesday friends and one day closer to the Thanksgiving Holiday and some time off with family and friends. If you’re like my daughters and are already enjoying a nice week-long break – I pray it is off to a good start. 🙂 Our new advent study, The Promised Messiah, begins next Monday (Nov.27) but for now let’s continue through our journey of Scriptures that prompt praise and worship for all God is and does.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:28
What is the promise?
The promise is, for those who are saved, all things will indeed work together for good. “All things” should be taken to mean each and every circumstance one might experience, even pain or suffering. “Work,” or “work together,” must be understood in light of God taking action in the world. He is the one who causes all things to work together or, perhaps, works in and through all circumstances toward a specific end. What is that end? “Good.”
Bibleref.com
From Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers to Jesus hanging on the cross for our sins this truth/promise brings us hope as it is played out in the lives of those who came before us and certainly in our own trouble or regrets. Is there anything in your past that you would do over if you could. Are there decisions you made then that have adversely affected your now? Take some time right now to remember or grasp hold of the truth from this verse of promise and hope – perhaps for the very first time. I used to think it said, “And we know all things work together for good…” and I remember the day and the place when I realized what it really said/meant: “…God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” Mistakes, regrets, things you had no control over, hurts, betrayal … these will surface in our minds from time to time – the enemy uses them as arrows but this powerful truth will combat them.
We must be careful to keep these words in the context Paul intended – and that was to bring hope to those believers who were struggling or suffering in life. He wanted them to remember that God is good and He is in perfect control on behalf of His children and according to His purpose, which by the way is perfect. Take hope in the encouragement that Paul’s words offer to those who belong to God – and trust that He truly has been and is continually working all things together for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose.💜
You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
Joseph, to his brothers – Genesis 50:20
Your Turn
What about today’s verse, Romans 8:28, makes you thankful? Is there a way you have seen its truth played out in your life? – If so give thanks!
Will you take a minute and share your response(s) in the comment section – It may be just the encouragement that someone else needs and for certain it will bring God glory.
Worship Through Music
I do not own the rights to this music nor do I use it for any profit or gain –
Happy Monday Friends! Let’s look to the Lord for the help we need today💜 For we know that God will hear us when we pray and we can be confident that just as He saved us from our sins He will rescue us from our troubles or walk with us through them.
Today’s Verse comes from Micah 7:7 which says:
I
It seems like everyday (sometimes every hour or minute) has something that we need help with – something we are crying out to God for. Whether it is health … provision … wisdom … strength … peace … or a myriad of other needs that arise – God is able. Whether it is us or someone else we know that is in need, God tells us to cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us, (1 Peter 5:7). From the least to the greatest of the cares He has invited us to bring them all to Him. So what is it you need to look to God for today? He’s ready and always listening – so let Him know and then wait confidently for His help.
What about this verse can you thank God for today?
How can I pray for you? Share a request in the comments or private message me at my email or facebook account –
mryelnb@aol.com (please put prayer in the subject line
@facebook/ MaryEllen Black
How have you seen God answer recently? Give Him praise and let it be a reminder that you can trust Him and a catalyst to continue looking to Him for help.
Me From the Inside Out 