August 23, 2023
Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to a city to dwell in;
hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way
till they reached a city to dwell in.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
Psalm 107:4-9 (ESV)
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Psalm 107 is a beautiful song about redemption. It goes through several scenarios where God redeems people, and the one in verses 4-9 was what I related to the most. I was the longing, hungry soul wandering in desert wastes (often literally). Nothing in the world seemed to satisfy me; I always wanted something new or more. This longing led me to wander until the Lord finally put me on a straight path to a city of refuge and a city to dwell in – himself. In Christ, I now have meaning, purpose, and peace.
The Psalm opens with the words:
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble.
I am in this group of the redeemed, and I am not ashamed to say so.
I encourage you to re-read Psalm 107 if you haven’t in a while. See if you identify with any of the groups described, and as the last line of the psalm says, “consider the steadfast love of the Lord.”