“A SUMMON FOR THE REDEEMED TO PRAISE THE LORD” PSALM 107:1-43

What an awesome psalm of praise we have before us.  This psalm is an exhortation for the redeemed ones to praise Him.  In fact, Psalm 107:1-3 states:  “O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.    Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He hath 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.”

As believers today, we need to thank the Lord for His steadfast love He has demonstrated toward us.  I need to continually thank Him and you do too!  His mercy has been bestowed upon us and we need to thank Him.  In verses 4-9, the psalmist stated that the Lord should be praised because He delivered those in the wilderness as they wandered.  He provided for them and led them safely in the wilderness.  Verse 6 represents their cry: “Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.”   And verse 8 represents the summon to praise: “Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”   This same cry and summon to praise is presented in subsequent instances of their distress in verses 13-15, 19-21 and 28-31.

Not only did the Lord lead the people in the wilderness, but He delivered prisoners from their bonds (vv. 10-16).   The situation is stated in verse 10: “Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron.”  Their cry is repeated in verse 13 and the summons to praise repeated in verse 15. As it relates to our previous state, the Lord has released us from the spiritual bondage of sin (Luke 4:18; Colossians 1:13).

In verses 17-22, the Lord is to be praised because He has delivered and restored the sick to health.  The cry is repeated in verse 19 and the summons to praise repeated in verse 21.  Because of the people being restored, they should praise the Lord.  How about you?  Has the Lord restored your health?  Then you need to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving unto His name.  In verses 23-32, the psalmist exhorts that the Lord be praise because He delivers mariners in trouble at sea.  In their desperation, they called upon the Lord and He delivered them by calming the tempestuous storm.  Again their cry is seen in 28 and the summons to praise in verse 31.

In conclusion, the Lord should be praised because He controls and manifests His power over nature (vv. 33-38).  The Lord has the power to change a barren place to a place of fruitfulness.  In addition, He has the power to change conditions in people’s lives, in that He humbles the proud and He elevates the poor and needy.  It is so remarkable that we continue to praise the Lord, and allow me to quote Psalm 113:1-3 that says:  “Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.    Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.    From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name is to be praised.”

May God Bless!