Let the Redeemed of the LORD Say So!

I decided to personalize Psalm 107. It is one of the psalms I get to read today. First is being thankful to the Lord for his goodness. "Oh, give thanks to the Lord for He is good!" (verse 1) So, Lord, I give thanks to You, for You are good! "For His mercy endures forever!" Goodness and mercy sound familiar. Oh, yes, in Psalm 23:6: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, All the days of my life,] And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever" (Psalm 23:6). "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, And gathered out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south" (verse 2) I say I am redeemed! "They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; They found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them. Then they cried out to the LORD In their distresses. And He led them forth in the right way, That they might go to a city for a dwelling place" (Psalm 107:4-7). This describes my life rather well. No need to describe all my wanderings, but those verses describe my life, perhaps they describe yours too. If you have been redeemed, tell somebody. I wrote my story in a book, but I would love to tell someone in person that I am redeemed, that I wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way, looking for the answer for my thirsty and hungry soul. I said, Lord, if You are real, show me, and he did. He led me, and has led me now for many years. "Oh that men would give thanks to 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. 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 the 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 107:8-16). I didn't know I was in a dark prison with bars of iron, because it was a spiritual prison, an invisible one, but nonetheless real. I invite you to read Psalm 107, and remember, the psalms were to be sung. The theme that the psalmist repeats is: "Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! Many of us who have decided to follow Jesus know we were saved from suicidal depression or from being in dangerous situations that could have been avoided if we had been living in the truth of God's word, but many others are still lost in their own desperation or confusion, or restlessness, or misery. "Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions" (Psalm 107:19-20). Verses 23-43 describe how "those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters" see how God works in nature, and how troubles assault us like waves on the ocean until our "soul melts because of trouble. "They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at the wits' end. Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! (Psalm 107:23-31). From verse 32-43, the psalm continues to exhort us to "exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the elders" (verse 32, a reference to attending worship gatherings with other believers). The psalmist continues to compare our life with the works of God in nature, how He provides for people and animals, how people are "brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow"...and yet "He sets the poor on high, far from affliction, and makes their families like a flock" (verses 39-41)... Finally, he writes, "Whoever is wise will observe these things, And will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD" (verse 43). This psalm is very rich in exhortation and wisdom and thankfulness and rejoicing, and also of letting others know if you have been redeemed. So let me just conclude with the opportunity to confess that I have been redeemed by Jesus and I am thankful for His goodness and mercy and for all His works to the children of men! So if you have been redeemed, tell somebody and have a blessed week!