To us through your word. So, God, please give me just good communication. Help me not to stumble over my words. Protect me from air. God, please be with the congregation.
Please give them listening ears. And we pray that you’d use this time just to fill our hearts with the glory of Christ. In his name we pray. Amen. So this morning, as we gather together, we do so start a new sermon series that will take us through, through the month of July.
Sermon series on the Psalms, specifically the fifth book of Psalms. Okay, now, before we dive into Psalm 107, because today is the first sermon in the sermon series, this is actually gonna be a little bit more of an informational sermon for you. Let me just take a few minutes just to give us a good amount of information, just so we can have some handles on psalms, on the study that we’re about ready to jump into. Where the Psalms is a book that many of God’s people throughout history, I’m assuming many of you have loved to read. This is maybe one of the most beloved books in all of Scripture.
So if you page through the Psalms, you will see there’s 150 total Psalms, and these 150 Psalms written by multiple different authors over a very long period of time. Where King David was author of more of the Psalms than any other author, we have known that he wrote at least half, probably more of the 150 Psalms. Now, when it comes to Psalms, a good portion of them became songs that would be sung at the Old Testament temple. So songs of worship. So as you read through the Psalms, you come across words written almost in the margin, maybe like a word like Selah.
So just know this is like a musical term used to give some instructions on how the songs would be sung. And as you may have noticed in the past, you read through the Psalms, like on the top, a good number of the psalms, or like little notes that may say something like, to the chief musician or to the choir master. If you just want to take your eyes to verse 109 or Psalm 109, it says to the chief or to the choir master. And these little notes are also to help with the singing of psalms done at the temple. Now, they mentioned that these psalms are originally written just to be like individual songs or individual poems where over time, all these songs are being sung at the temple, became like stacks of songs and poems for God’s people to sing.
And at some point, seemingly after Israel returned from the exile to Babylon, someone took all these individual psalms and songs and they organized them into a book that we have today with 150 Psalms, where they were organized into five specific books. So book one is Psalms 1 through 41. Then there’s book two, Psalms 42 through 72, book three, which is Psalm 73, 89, book four, Psalm 90 to 106, and then the fifth book, Psalm 107, which we have today through 150. Now, over time, the compiler, the organizer of the Psalms, also referred to as the Psalter. That information has been lost, however, because it seems likely the Psalter was organized as after God’s people returned from exile.
They’re all from Babylon, return from exile. Many scholars wonder if it was Ezra, the great priest who’s at the center of God’s people, returned to the land, if he was the one who did the organizing, which to me actually does seem fairly likely. Although some scholars do believe the ordinance Psalms is maybe done over time, perhaps starting as early as David 1000 BC, where David maybe organized like the first book of Psalms. And then over time, others organized the next few books, which included, with Ezra simply organizing the fifth final book, the one who mentioned we’ll be looking at this summer. So hard to know exactly who and when the Psalter was organized.
But I think the more important thing for us is just to understand that it is actually an organized book. There’s an organization within each of the five books. So the Psalter was put together with actually a lot of thought, a lot of intentionality for us. The Psalter, we believe, is put together through the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, who not only carried along the quill of the psalmist as he wrote each psalm, but also carried along the hands of the organizer as he put the Psalms into the order that we have today. Meaning like the Psalter didn’t come to be just because someone went to the temple choir room, you know, found a bunch of stacks of scrolls, all different psalms just kind of laying around.
This person’s kind of stressed out, you know, just how messy everything was. So they took the stack, bound them together into a book, you know, just straighten up the choir room. No real thought, just kind of randomly put together. It’s not how it happened. As mentioned, there’s a lot of thought, a lot of intentionality with the organization of the Psalms.
So on that front, let me just point out a few things. Unfortunately, because of time, I’m gonna have to go through these fairly quickly. But if any of this piques your interest, please do come talk to me. I’d love to talk to you more about you with this with you at a later time. So just a few things.
So first, with the organization, probably most easy to see on this front, as you read through the Psalms, you’ll see a lot of like similar type psalms that often are grouped together. Okay, just a couple examples from book five, which we’re looking at. So if you take your eyes to Psalm 120 through 134, these are all psalms of ascent that they’ve been grouped together. So the Psalm of ascents communicate the joy that God’s people had as they ascended into the holy city of Jerusalem where the temple is located. Then as the Psalter ends with a group of Psalms 146 through 150, these are a group of psalms often referred to as like the Hallelujah Psalms with the word Hallelujah means like praise the Lord, which is a refrain that runs throughout those final few psalms.
So there’s no doubt some structure, some organization was present with the groupings of similar psalms. Second, let me also mention, there seems to be no doubt that Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 serve as the introduction for the entire book of Psalms Psalms. So in Psalm 1 we see what a happy, a blessed man looks like, which is one who trusts and obeys God’s Word. And then Psalm 2 is a Psalm that’s looking for anticipation to a Messiah Messiah who is to come, the one who come to make all things right. And really from there on, the rest of Psalms revolve around these two themes found in the first two psalms where storming the Psalms are filled with joy and praising of those who are trusting in God and His Word.
Some other psalms are almost like laments brought on due to lack of trust of God and His Word that does not leave mankind happy but miserable. Furthermore, I think you can argue that all the Psalms in different ways are Messianic psalms that are pointing to the Messiah that is to come. In fact, of all the different Old Testament books that the New Testament quotes, Psalms is the most quoted book. As throughout the New Testament, the authors quote the Psalms to show that Jesus is the Messiah. He’s the promised one found in Psalm 2.
May remember a text last week we looked at Acts 4. Remember Peter quoted Psalm 118 that Jesus is the cornerstone that the builders rejected. So the Psalms, it’s a very messianic book. Third, let me also point out on the organizational side that the five books end with a very similar chorus that also I think communicates this very thought through organization. So last verse of Psalm 41, which ends Book 1 says, this is, blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen. Very similarly, at the end of Psalm 72, which ends Book 2, Blessed be His glorious name forever. May the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen. And Amen.
Then very similarly, Psalm 89, which ends book three, ends with this, Blessed be the Lord forever, Amen. And amen. Then Psalm 106, which ends Books 4, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel. From everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say Amen.
Praise the Lord. And then finally, the end of the Psalms 150, which ends Book 5, says this, Let everything has breath. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. So very similar endings to each book, right?
This is intentionally organized in this way. Fourth, let me also mention the Psalms as they’re placed into five books. Most scholars agree the five books are meant to mirror the first five books of the Bible, which is referred to as like the Torah. Now, there’s a lot of discussion on the purpose of each of the five books of Psalms and how they relate to the Torah, Torah and what each book of Psalms it may be communicating. Fortunately, because of time, once again, we can’t go through everything.
But I can mention a few things. So most scholars agree that theological. There are theological reasons for the five books of Psalms, where each book is meant to help tell a bigger story of God’s work in the world and in the covenant that he made with his people, which you can read about in the Torah. Some think that the themes of each of the five books match a larger theme of its corresponding book within the Torah, or the stories and theology kind of match up. So, for example, book 1 and 2, or Psalm 1 and 2, which is in book 1, seems to match Genesis in the Garden of Eden and the promise of one to come to deal with sin.
Who entered into the garden. Book five, which we’re starting up, seems to match the fifth book of the Torah, the book of Deuteronomy, which Deuteronomy is a book filled with like joyful celebration as God’s people renew their covenant with God as they are about to enter into the Promised land. So many think that book five that we’re going to look at this summer models and matches Deuteronomy’s joyfulness as God’s people joyfully return back to the land from exile, where God worked through Ezra and the people renewed their covenant, their commitment to the Lord, where Psalms end with a great celebration. As mentioned, the Hallelujah Psalms, for me, I Do think there may be something there about the five books of Psalms matching the five books of the Torah. Others think each book of the Psalms is actually meant to take our mind to like theological themes that run actually throughout the Old Testament related to like creation, the Old Testament covenant that God made with Moses.
Messiah was the calm. Similarly so others think that the book of Psalms is there to reflect the whole story of Israel. So not just the story, but all of Israel’s story. As the Book of Psalms is kind of like a winding story that matches the winding story of Israel where they went from being God’s covenant people to having a kingdom under David, only to have the kingdom divided, where they eventually led into exile because of faithlessness to the covenant, only for God’s people return them to the land because of his faithfulness. So even that I think is kind of interesting to consider.
We can see the tone of each of the five books, how it does kind of relate to the winding road of Israel’s story and all their ups and downs. For us today, unfortunately, that’s all I’m going to mention because of time. But for us, just know the Psalter is made up of five very organized books. They’re not just there to simply be a songbook. But more than that, the Psalter is an organized thought through theological book of how God is at work in the world.
Specifically at work through the Messiah who was to come by which God will keep his covenant to his people, which we see in the Scriptures, including Psalms. This God does this, this keeping of his covenant because of his steadfast love. Which leads us Back to Psalm 107, which is a psalm that’s grounded in the steadfast love of the Lord. Just something we’re going to see come up time and time again. In this psalm we just trust in God’s steadfast love, even when life is difficult and challenging and doesn’t make sense.
Particularly when life is difficult and challenging because like we brought it on by our sin where we fell Short in Psalm 107, we are to turn from that sin by crying out to the Lord who forgives, who restores his people. Why? Because of his steadfast love. Now, as you look back to verse one, if you let your eyes run through the psalm, you see this is a little longer psalm. So I’m have to go through even this a little more quickly than I would like to.
But I do want to give you some handles on this psalm as well before we work through it. As we get through these handles the thing I do want us to pick up on is this ongoing theme of the steadfast love of the Lord. So let’s work through this. You can see this just engulfs the entire poem. So you look at verse one, begins with the steadfast love of God.
Then verse 30:43. The poem ends with encouragement to consider the steadfast love of the Lord. And then throughout the poem, there’s basically this repeated chorus centered on the steadfast love of the the Lord, where multiple times the poet wrote, let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, which for us, we know that as we sing songs, they have repeated choruses. So same thing here. God is using this psalm, this repeated chorus, just to press in how important his steadfast love is for us.
Can I also mention, it does feel like this psalm was written in correlation or connection to God’s people returning from exile. Exile because of their sin, where they were sent to Babylon because of their sin, only for God to graciously bring them back to the land where God redeemed them. So for us, we don’t know for certain the historical context of the poem, but it does seem very connected to return from exile. Okay, finally, let me mention before we get back to the text, the scholars do break this poem or this song into a series of stanzas. So if this interests you, if you’re taking notes.
So one through three, this is like the first stanza, the song, which is basically a call to worship. Then after that, there are four cries that came from God’s troubled people, cries that they were experiencing all the heartache and frustration brought up their sin. So verses 4 through 9 is like the second stanza, a cry from wandering in the wilderness. Verses 10 through 16 is like the third stanza, cry from being held captive in prison. Verses 17 through 22, the fourth stanza, cry of suffering because of sin.
Verse 23 to 32, the fifth stanza. Then a cry of being tossed about at sea. And then finally verses 33 through 42, the sixth stanza is a rejoicing in God who change changes the fortunes of those who cry out to him as he pours his steadfast love on them. Okay, so with all that being said, if you want to look back with me, let’s get back into the text. So verse one.
So we read this. It says, oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, which is one of the most important truths for us to remember and to confess at all times, including times when life is not good. God still is good. You know, there’s a simple chorus that sings God is good all the time. And all the time God is good.
So true, right? We are to be thankful because God is good, always good, even when life itself is not good. In the poem, the reason why God is good, why he’s good all the time as we see his steadfast love endures forever like without end. His love never wavers. It’s not with like ups and downs, like our love can be where it’s fickle.
The word steadfast just communicates God’s faithful, unwavering, committed love with fully on his people, which is love that the Lord will stay true to and the Lord will stay true to his steadfast love even when we his people are not true to him, which in the context is what led to the exile. God’s steadfast love is not conditioned on how faithful we are to Him. God’s love for his people is secure to his faithfulness towards us because of the steadfast love of God, which is so good. Verse 2 the Psalmist declares that those who are redeemed of the Lord, who by faith trust in him, those who have received his steadfast love Context those who return from land of exile, you see, they are to say so they are to declare the redeeming steadfast love of the Lord to others. By the way, this is really at the core of what we’ve been striving towards the last few weeks as a church in evangelism, baseball that we’ve been playing.
We who receive such love from God, we are to say so we are to declare, to testify to that love to those around us. The text as we testify to the steadfast love of God, we do so ways we’re testifying how the Lord redeemed us from trouble, whatever that trouble might be. Verse 3 How God has gathered in from the lands, from the east and the west, from the north, from the south, people from all corners has redeemed the people to Himself, including those in verses four and five of this poem. The song including those who wandered in the desert waste, who have found no city to dwell in, redeeming those who were hungry and thirsty, where their soul fainted within them which we know are things are not good. I think this does speak towards how the exile was.
People in exile being led away into the foreign land to captivity is not good. Yet in the goodness of God, because of his steadfast love. Verse 6 as they cried out to the Lord in their trouble according to his steadfast love, the Lord delivered them from their distress. Furthermore, according to his steadfast redeeming love, verse 7, the Lord leads those who he redeemed on a straight path all the way until they reach the city to dwell. In context, it’s the city of Jerusalem where the exiles return.
But we know the ultimate city that the steadfast love of the Lord is leading his redeemed to is a city in the heavenly places. The new Jerusalem is to come where all of the redeemed of the Lord will dwell with each other, with him forever, in perfect peace, in perfect happiness, engulfed in his steadfast love. Keep going the Psalm because of the goodness, the steadfast love of the Lord that leads his people home. Verse 8 For the first time we get the repeated chorus, which many ways echoes the opening verse of this poem. The chorus Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men now just a couple quick thoughts on this repeated chorus.
They’re going to come up time and time again. First, would it not have been awesome to be present when God’s people were, like, singing this song at the temple? We can just kind of see like, as it came to this repeated chorus and like, singing with, like, extra gusto. Second, this repeated chorus is such a great chorus for us because we actually need it. We need this repeated reminder of God’s steadfast love on us.
They’re so easy to forget it. And not only the reminder of the steadfast love. We’re reminded that we need to be thankful to the Lord to be mindful of the wondrous works that he does in our life and in the world around us. We know this life can be so hard because of sin. Our hearts are often too hard, where we’re much more inclined to like, grumble and complain than to be thankful.
We also know that life is always moving so fast. Like, how often do we take time to ponder the steadfast love of God, or take time to be thankful, or take time just to consider the wondrous works of God. Not just what we see in Scripture, but also we see in our own life. So this repeated chorus here in this psalm, it is so helpful. It is so needed.
It is so instructive to us. We’re going to get back to this at the end of the sermon, verse nine. You see, for the Lord, he is the One, the only One, who satisfies the longings of our soul and the hungry soul he fills with good things, which also is one of the most important truths for us to remember. In the end, only the Lord can satisfy, and as he’s satisfied, he satisfies with full, complete satisfaction. Which is why we should take time to dwell on the Lord, his steadfast love.
Friends, it satisfies. In fact, one of the Psalms even tells that the satisfy or the steadfast love of the Lord is so satisfying it’s actually better than life itself. Verse 10 this goes back to those who are not in a good situation. Read that Psalms sat in darkness, in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in the irons. Were they upset at prisoners because they rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High?
So Lord bowed down their hearts with hard labor. They fell down with none to help. It’s a reminder that when we reject the Lord, his word, his steadfast love, when we embrace a life of sin, friends, things do not go well for us. That’s not a satisfying life. It does not lead to happiness, blessedness in the Lord.
Rather it leads to pain and misery where we subject ourselves to God’s judgment, where we’re like bottled up as prisoners because of our own sin, not happy, not filled with joy. However, in verse 13, in correlation with the steadfast love of God, friends, there’s good news. When we repent of our sin, when we turn to the Lord by crying out to him in our trouble, we see the Lord will deliver us from our distress. Well, he’ll bring us out of darkness in the shadow of death, where the Lord will burst the bonds apart that keep us as prisoners once again. Ultimately, the Lord will do an eternal life.
We’ll be there. We’ll be fully and completely free from sin, free from the bondage and effects. The consequences of sin that just bottle us up in the end always leads to death. Everyone will Even though this freeing, this deliverance, won’t be fully realized until life is to come. Even this life, friends, there’s good news.
When we repent by faith, walk in light of the repentance. God still does a redeeming work even in this life. He is still freeing the bonds of our sin as he sets the captives free.
Those Christ is set free are free indeed. Verse 15 so again, because of this great steadfast love of the Lord who frees sinners from bondage. The Chorus Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man. Let them thank the Lord. Let him give credit and honor for what he has done to free us.
Verse 16 for the Lord, he is the one. He’s the one who shatters the prison doors made of bronze. He is the one who cuts into the bars of iron that trap us. Right? The Lord does that we don’t.
He is the great deliverer of our soul. Verse 17 yes, some were fools through their sinful ways, where they suffered affliction because of their iniquities. Once again, this is what sin does. No matter what that sin might be, it not only proves us to be a fool, but it brings us harm affliction. And as the Psalms, or as the fools suffered for their sin in the Psalms, they loathed any kind of food as they drew near to the gates of death, which we know is not a pleasant sight.
Once again, this is where their foolishness brought them. However, there’s good news once again. Verse 19 According to the steadfast love of the Lord, when they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, he delivered them from their distress, as the Lord sent out his word and healed them and delivered them from their destruction. Friends, this is what the Lord does when we’re bound up in sin and cry out to him, he delivers us. And he does this because the Lord is kind and gracious and merciful and loving.
Therefore, once again, the chorus of verse 21. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for the wondrous works to the children of men. I mean, really, when we’ve been delivered, set free. I mean, how can we not sing this out? Maybe just a visual.
Maybe think of like someone trapped as a prisoner of war and like freedom fighters coming to rescue them, to deliver them. When the captives are set free, are their hearts not like bubbling over with thanksgiving, are they not heaping shouts of gratitude on their deliverers? Verse 22 for those who the Lord delivered, not only let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, but in keeping with that thanksgiving, let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving. So not just simply a verbal thanksgiving, but that put that thanksgiving on display through an offering. And not only that, let them offer up their thanksgiving by telling of his deeds in songs of joy.
Friends, when thanksgiving is filling our hearts, naturally it works its way out by the actions and how we go about our life, by the words that we communicate as we express joy to those around us. Verse 23 Back to the situation was not good. We read how some went down to the ships or the sea in ships doing business on great waters. And as they saw the deeds of the Lord, as they’re aware of the Wondrous works in the deep it appears they did nothing with what they saw. They did not praise the Lord for his wondrous works.
Rather appears that they rejected the Lord, they rejected his steadfast love. And because of that, in verse 25, the Lord commanded, raised up the stormy wind of judgment, which came and lifted the waves of the sea. Verse 26 For a time they were able to mount up to heaven, they went down to the depths, they were able to ride the waves of judgment, doing so with pride, trusting that somehow in their own ability they’ll be able to rescue themselves. However, in the psalm, over time that prideful sinful courage melted away in their evil plight, and they reeled and they staggered like drunken men, where in time they came to their wit’s end. But it was there at their wits end, at their lowest point, as they hit rock bottom, where they finally admitted, accepted, they cannot deliver and rescue themselves.
So we see they finally turned to the Lord. Verse 28 so they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and once again the Lord delivered them from their distress, as according to his great steadfast love in all of his sovereign power the Lord made the storm of judgment be still, as the waves of judgment were hushed. So as then as they turned to the Lord in the passage, they were glad. They were glad that the waters were quiet, and they understood that it was the Lord, the Lord alone who delivered them, as the Lord is the one who brought them to their desired haven of peace and stability. They didn’t do that.
God did that. Therefore in the psalm, yet again the chorus Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men, friends, sit Again they didn’t rescue themselves from the deadly peril. The Lord did so it’s right to thank him for pouring out such love on sinners. Furthermore, verse 32 and let them who receive such love and grace from from the Lord, let them extol the Lord and the congregation of the people, let them praise the Lord in the assembly of the elders. Don’t hold back, don’t be silent.
Rather, proclaim the wondrous works to all who are near, proclaim the wondrous works to all who can hear, to give the Lord his due credit, which is one of the ongoing applications of the psalm. As received the steadfast love of the Lord, as we receive the wondrous works that he does that redeems us, friends, we are to talk about it.
We are to testify, to tell others what the Lord has done.
Friends, when we’re silent, we’re keeping that credit and that honor and that glory to ourselves rather than giving it to the Lord for what he has done. Verse 33 Back to those in painful places because of their sin, because of the rejection of the steadfast love of the Lord, because of not having hearts filled with thankfulness, judgment. Read that the LORD turns rivers into a desert. He takes springs of water and he makes them into a thirsty ground. To those who reject him, his steadfast love of fruitful land he makes into a salty waste, which he does because of the evil of its inhabitants.
However, once again, friends, there’s good news for those who are his people, those who cry out to the Lord, those who by faith receive his steadfast love. In stark contrast, we read, he will turn the desert into a pool of water. He’ll take a land that’s parched and make it into a spring of water. Verse 36 and as there he will let the hungry people dwell as they establish a city to live in. As they live in the city of God, you see, they will sow fields and plant vineyards, and they will have a fruitful land.
And by his blessing, because of his goodness, his steadfast love Psalm he tells us that they will multiply greatly as a city will be filled as they dwell in the land of the Lord. In fact, Psalmist even tells us that the Lord provided for his people in such a way that he will not even let, like their livestock, diminish. In fact, the historical context of the exile returning back to land Friends, this was their hope, their promise, their assurance that as return to Jerusalem from exile, God’s blessing would be upon them. But once again, ultimately, that blessing that favor, that promise, that assurance, that hope that we have is ultimately found in a new Jerusalem and to the greater city that is to come.
Verse 39 not only will God’s favor be on his people as they enter into the city, we see that when the enemies of God stand in opposition to his people in ways where they seek to bring God’s people to be diminished and brought low, where through their opposition and acts of evil, the enemies seek to cause God’s people to see sorrow as situations like this arise, we see in the text that according to his steadfast love, the Lord will stand up for his people, which by the way, is a common theme throughout the Psalter. The Lord will stand up and he will defend his people. He will prove to be the great warrior for his people, where he will be their strong tower their shelter as the Lord defends his people from their enemies. In verse 40, we see the Lord will pour contempt on the princes who are at the forefront of causing his people harm. And as the Lord defends and fights for his people, as he pours contempt on the princes, we read that he’ll make the princes wander in trackless waste.
However, once again, in stark contrast for his people, in verse 41, the Lord will raise up the needy. He will raise them up out of their affliction, and according to his steadfast love, he’ll make their families so large they will be like flocks. Verse 42 as upright. See the Lord. As they see all the wondrous deeds that the Lord has done, they will sit and be glad.
Is all wickedness that affects God’s people, all evil, whatever it is, whatever the affliction, they will have their mouth shut in silence. Which, by the way, there’s a famous line in Psalm 46, Be still and know that I’m God. My friends, this actually is really at the heart of that verse where God will silence the enemies, he will shut their mouths, and they will know that he is God as he defends his people.
Finally, where the Psalm ends, Psalm 43, the summary, the application. Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things. Let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord which ends this psalm, this great summary. Let us consider the steadfast love of the Lord. Now, as I close this sermon, I have just one application, which exactly is just that.
This is my encouragement to us. So first, one thing. Take time to consider the steadfast love of the Lord. That’s the application for us this morning and for us. Sounds simple enough, but we know this is probably something we don’t do all that often or all that well.
Which again is probably why we need the repeated chorus of this text.
People at the temple, they needed this repeated chorus to. To consider the steadfast love of the Lord, to be mindful of his wondrous works. I think for us, how much more do we need it in the world that we now live in that’s filled with so many distractions, where instead of considering the Lord, we’re probably consistently or constantly filling our minds with some type of media, listening to music, listening to podcasts, scrolling the Internet, or maybe like running from one activity to the next, we’re always on to the next thing on our to do list, which in themselves, you know, these things perhaps are not wrong, but because we’re constantly filling our minds with something. Friend, can I Ask how often are you creating space in margin? We’re intentionally sitting in silence to consider and to meditate upon.
The steadfast love of the Lord is very much tied to the encouragement of Psalm 1. We’re to meditate upon the Lord’s or meditate upon the Word day and night. So as we close the sermon, my encouragement to us is just be intentional. Seek to eliminate unnecessary distractions from your life and just actively consider the Lord. So friend, maybe then rather than like binge watching another show, maybe grab a journal and just write down the steadfast love of God where you see it in your life, where you see it in scripture, or write down as many of the wondrous works that you can see in your life today on that given day.
Or maybe instead of like listening to the car radio or a podcast on your commute, maybe just give your mind some quietness to be able to consider as many ways as you can how God’s love has continued to be upon you. Maybe are you considering how God has freed you from various sins? Or just take time to consider how his redeeming love has redeemed you.
Or just find time just to remember and to consider how God is satisfying. We’re in doing this consideration, you’re expressing your thankfulness to the Lord. Friends, don’t waste our life. May we not do that, may be consumed by all the different distractions, but rather may we fill our life by considering over and over again the steadfast love of God, which is more than enough for us. We know this if we consider for us to consider the steadfast love of God.
We know that our hearts and minds will be taken to Jesus Christ for us to gaze upon him, the very one where we see the fullness of God’s steadfast love on display as the Lord Jesus Christ is our great Redeemer, the very One who came to rescue us from all things, most importantly came to rescue us from our sin, which Jesus did by coming to die for us to take on the punishment, the judgment of sin. Scripture tells us, and this is love. We know that God loves us. Why? Because he gave us His Son to be the propitiation of our sins.
As my encouragement. Think deeply. Consider Jesus Christ, the love that he has for you, that he died for you. And not only that, in the most wondrous of God’s work that he rose again from the dead. And then he gives life and freedom to all who call out to him, including all here today, where by his love and grace and mercy, our Lord takes strangers and exiles, those who are not in great places that we put ourselves in because of our sin.
Yet in his grace and his love, Jesus brings his people to Himself, where He rescues us so that we might know him, so we might know his love. Friends, I say it again. Please take time to consider the steadfast love of the Lord. Doing that. It will be better.
It will be better than all the ongoing unnecessary distractions that we fill our hearts with, including like enemies attack our hearts, things like worry and fear and anxiety or bitterness. Tell those things to be still.
Intentionally put your thoughts towards Christ, the only one who satisfied the longings of our hearts.
Church May God give us the grace and wisdom as we begin this study of the fifth book of Psalms. May the Lord use it in ways that we are captured and enamored by his steadfast love for us found in Jesus Christ, the very one. In the end, all the information, all of the organization that fills the Psalms is always pointing us to. May we go through the study in ways that we see Jesus where we hold fast to him, trusting in the end he’s actually the one who’s holding fast to us with his incredible steadfast love. That is so good.
Let’s pray.
Lord, thank youk for the Book of Psalms. Thank youk for Psalm 107.
Lord, thank youk just for your steadfast love for us through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord, I pray that today that you would help us to receive that steadfast love, to trust in it.
Please help us to be thankful for it. And Lord, please help us to declare it to each other and to the world around us.
And Lord, thank youk that yout are so good to us that in your goodness you haven’t sent your son to come to rescue us.
Lord, pray us on Jesus name. Amen.