psalm · 107A
He Is Good
now playing · He Is Good
0:000:00
summary
The cry from the wilderness still reaches the God who is good.
lyrics
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, And gathered them out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness on a solitary way; They found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, And He delivered them out of their distresses. He led them forth by the right way, That they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul And fills the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit 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 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 bonds in pieces. Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
go deeper
Psalm 107A: He Is Good
When you need to remember — that You're still my Shepherd.
What's Going On…
You can be in a stretch where the road has stopped looking like a road. You are walking, but there is no city in view, no clear destination, just one tired step after another. Hunger is not just physical — your soul is faint. You cannot remember the last time you felt at home anywhere.
You need to remember that the Lord is good, and that crying out from the wilderness has worked before for people just as lost.
What It Means
This one opens with the call that runs through the whole prayer: "O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." Then it widens: people gathered from east, west, north, south — He has been collecting wanderers from every direction. The first story is wilderness: "They wandered in the wilderness on a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them." That is deep disorientation. Then the move that the rest of the prayer keeps repeating: "Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation."
Then the refrain: "Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness."
The second story is darker: prisoners "such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons — because they rebelled against the words of God." Even when the chains were the consequence of their own choices, the rescue was still available: "Then they cried 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 bonds in pieces."
Right Here, Right Now
• Right now, cry out loud about the wilderness or the chains you are inside, because crying to Him has worked for people who looked just as lost.
• Write this down: "Where have I been wandering without naming that I am wandering?"
• Repeat this line when the road feels endless: "He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness."
Selah
Stop. Breathe. Let the God who collects wanderers from every direction find you on the road you are on. Then tell Him exactly where you need to be led to a city of habitation — out loud if you can.
Prayer
God, You are good — and Your mercy endures forever.
I have been wandering on a solitary way and pretending I knew where I was going.
You hear what I cry from the wilderness and what I cry from the irons.
Lead me by the right way to a city of habitation, even if I do not know its name yet.
Satisfy my longing soul and fill my hungry soul with goodness, the way You have for the redeemed before me.
You're still my Shepherd.
Stay Strong
The cry from the wilderness still reaches the God who is good.
comments · 0
Sign in with Google to comment.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.