03.11.2012 Stories of Deliverance - Psalm 107

Alan and Annette – heading to Sun Valley Arizona to a Native American reservation – the last week of March to April 2 – Lord, we thank You for Annette and Alan taking it upon themselves to jump into missions and to serve You in other parts of the world. We know the Native Americans have so many needs and much is being done for the work of Christ – and their testimony of giving a week of their time would have an impact on them – use them in this time.
We are continuing until Easter our series in the Psalms – today we are looking at Psalm 107 –
Psalm 107:
This is a praise psalm of God’s restoration and rescue. For this psalm – he is talking about Israel having been scattered by the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests – and God bringing them back to their home in Israel – God’s great work of rescuing His people out of all their troubles. And that is what we are looking at today – God rescuing us out of our troubles and difficulties – believing that God can rescue us out of all of our circumstances – and praising God for it.
This is 4 stories of deliverance – Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story. The first and 4th stories are similar – God rescues us from difficult circumstances and our human limitations. Things that come upon us because we are people with limited power and opportunity – subject to the things around us – events, natural disasters that we don’t control. And we need to depend on God. No matter how good you are – there are things you just can’t control.
2 and 3 are similar as well – Go dis the one who rescues us from sin and rebellion. Sometimes we get into trouble because of our own sin – bad deeds. This is telling us – in all circumstances of life, God wants to be our redeemer – the one who rescues us.
The first story starts in verse 4 – I will read it all – it speaks for itself:
4 Some people had wandered in the desert lands. They found no city to live in. 5 They were hungry and thirsty. They were discouraged. 6 In their misery they cried out to the Lord. And he saved them from their troubles. 7 He led them on a straight road to a city where they could live. 8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his love and for the miracles he does for people. 9 He satisfies the thirsty. He fills up the hungry.
A group of people limited in their resources – in scarcity – where they could not provide for themselves – nothing they could do about it – in a desert with a lack of water and food. They have to depend solely on God. All of us can think of times when people have been in this situation – through events we had nothing to do with find ourselves in deserts. People have lost their jobs through tough economic times – they were faithfully doing their work and outside events turn things around. Then there are consequences to outside events. Things we are not even involved in – we suffer consequences – and it can be harsh – and it is in these that God wishes to act. He wants them – as He is writing this – He wants us to understand that God is not distant, but desires to come in and act on our behalf in these situations.
23 Others went out to sea in ships. They did business on the great oceans. 24 They saw what the Lord could do. They saw the miracles he did. 25 He spoke, and a storm came up. It blew up high waves. 26 The ships tossed as high as the sky and fell low in the waves. The storm was so bad the men lost their courage. 27 They stumbled and fell like men who were drunk. They did not know what to do.
They were at their wits end – in that day – the people who were most courageous were sailors – it was seen as a place of death. Even their courage melted – all of us will have events that come into our lives that challenge even our best qualities – the very core of who we are, at our very best. And it is in these circumstances – v 28
28 In their misery they cried out to the Lord. And he saved them from their troubles. 29 He made the storm be still. He calmed the waves. 30 They were happy that it was quiet. And God guided them to the port they wanted. 31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his love and for the miracles he does for people. 32 Let them praise his greatness in the meeting of the people. They should praise him in the meeting of the older leaders. 33 He changed rivers into a desert,
The second area – story 2 – he talks about sin and rebellion:
10 Some sat in gloom and darkness. They were prisoners suffering in chains. 11 They had turned against the words of God. They had refused the advice of God Most High. 12 So he broke their pride by hard work. They stumbled, and no one helped. 13 In their misery they cried out to the Lord. And he saved them from their troubles.
When we are the cause of our distress and troubles – in those situations it is easy to believe that God doesn’t want to save us – but He is saying that even when WE are the cause of our trouble – He still desires to rescue you in each of the circumstances.
14 He brought them out of their gloom and darkness. He broke their chains. 15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his love and for the miracles he does for people. 16 He breaks down bronze gates. And he cuts apart iron bars.
1) – we are not immune from the consequences of our sin because we are forgiven. However – God loves us and desires to rescue us – and that doesn’t change because we are in that circumstance based on our own errors. Sometimes as a parent – when a child gets in trouble because of outside circumstances, we want to jump in there – but other times, we see people in trouble and think – they are getting what they deserve. Yes, there are consequences – even though He forgives – there are consequences, but that is not God’s final word. His final word is that because of His love He rescues us.
The third story –
17 Some became fools who turned against God. They suffered for the evil they did. 18 They refused to eat anything. So they almost died. 19 In their misery they cried out to the Lord. And he saved them from their troubles. 20 God gave the command and healed them. So they were saved from dying. 21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his love and for the miracles he does for people. 22 Let them offer sacrifices to thank him. With joy they should tell what he has done.
We see the pattern – people getting in trouble - and in all four stories, there is this pattern of what we experience – so it is relevant – trouble enters either through events or choices –and there are consequences – and in each situation – what has to happen first? They cry out to God. In each story – He uses the word cried – these are not pious prayers but prayers of desperation. These are circumstances that drop people to their knees. They are in a situation where there is no hope except for God.
Now, we all want to avoid those circumstances – but that is where God brings us. His desire is to bring us to a point of surrender and dependence upon Him for all things – because when we do that, we get to experience God’s work – we allow God to work in our lives.
Second pattern – they give thanks for His unfailing love – His love never ends – no matter what we do – His love is there – Love mercy – Grace – and the neat thing – whether at sea and about to sink or in the desert and about to die of thirst – God’s love can reach it all. There is not a rebellion of sin you commit where God’s love cannot reach in.
Another thing with this – a qualification – this Psalm is condensing 40 years of history into about that many verses. They wandered in the desert for a long time before God brought them back. When we read it – it is like boom boom boom. Sometimes you cry out to the Lord and He delivers you – thirty years later. Yes, God will deliver you.
We are living with an entirely different mindset as Christians – our deliverance is not in this world, it is in the next world – and God allows circumstances to cause us to think about the next world. If things were always smooth, I guarantee that we would never think about the next life. He always wants us to think about the next life – and to trust Him and to depend on Him.
Jesus says, look at the lilies – they are not worried – but seek first His kingdom – don’t worry so much about the little things – and it is amazing how often we think about the little things. Things that are not important can totally derail things that keep us from trusting in God.
The Christian life is not a life of religion – it is about simple faith. But how do you describe that to your neighbor – I’m not into religion! He might say. And clever people say, Jesus wasn’t about religion either. But our first response should be one of faith.
Here is what He does – when God acts – He always acts in accordance with their need.
In one story, they are in the desert and He rescues them. In another – they are prisoners in chains – and He breaks their chains.
3rd – sin and death – and He heals them.
4th – He quiets the waves and storms. And this tells that His love comes to bear uniquely in our situations – it comes in a unique way – in our specific situation.
There is a special presence of God for every difficulty we may face. He is a father to the Fatherless. When there is a person who is fatherless, what happens? God in a special unique way relates to that person. That does not mean He loves them more
There is an experience of God that orphan can have that someone who is not in that way cannot.
God wants – in special ways – to relate to all of us. Even though we are all similar – we are each individuals with a unique relationship with God. And that is how God intended it. How can God know all these people? We may never understand that – but God knows. – and He wants to relate to us in special ways.
Let me mention a few other things –
God has to rescue us – sometimes from bad choices when we do it with good motives. Times when we are trying to do the right thing – honest and serving God – where we make bad choices – not sinful, but bad. Often we think – why did I do that? If you are married, you know that – you have all done things – where you think your spouse will love it and you were wrong. It has happened to all of us. Sometimes it is more serious than funny. Good motives do not always eliminate poor choices and their consequences. It is a reality. And we need God to come in and in those circumstances – he wishes to rescue us.
Sometimes we need rescue because of the weaknesses of our bodies – my mom is in a wheelchair – I bet she said to me 100 times – did you ever think it would come to this.
I went to the doctor’s office to pick up a prescription – as I got to the door – an SUV pulled up – and there was an elderly woman in the passenger seat – and I helped her down- she said to me – who’d have thought it would come to this.
Isaiah 40: 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. 29 He gives strength to the weary, And to [him who] lacks might He increases power. 30 Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, 31 Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up [with] wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.
Now, obviously it is not saying that if we follow Jesus that we’ll still be running marathons when we are 90. But spiritually – we can soar with Him.
He is teaching us a life of dependence and trust – and in it we can continue.
Some will fall down mentally or emotionally. Because we are human – we will emotionally or mentally collapse – and I am not saying it is sin –
Matt. 26: 36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
This is the human part of Jesus experiencing what humans can go through – my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow… - Blood starts pouring out because of the pressure and stress.
Some say He died too early on the cross – that He died of a broken heart. And sometimes God has to rescue us.
Psalm 107:32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders. 33 He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, 34 and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there. 35 He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; 36 there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. 37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; 38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish. 39 Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled by oppression, calamity and sorrow; 40 he who pours contempt on nobles made them wander in a trackless waste. 41 But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks. 42 The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths
There is this continual pattern of God delivering and rescuing His people out of trouble.
. 43 Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD.

This is a simple, practical conclusion – look at what God has done and trust Him. Believe that God is able to deliver you because of his mercy and grace – and know that in due time you will be able to praise him because of his faithfulness to you.