Redemption and Deliverance - Psalm 107
Dealing with the Struggle in finding Forgiveness, Acceptance, and Fulfillment
By Pastor Dan Kennedy
© October 8, 2017
Life is most often not a bed of roses; but quite often, instead, one might find themselves deeply tangled in a maze of thorns!
Somehow the world around us gives us the feeling that success is only equated with the world’s acceptable definitions of success – which seem to be:
· Possessions:
acquiring lots of the things we want and living “in style;”
· Positions:
having authority and positions that boost our feelings of power and domination;
· Personality and Intellect:
being well educated and well-spoken;
· Praise:
having lots of people admire us for who we are, what we have, how smart we are, and our abilities of the world;
· Purpose:
involving ourselves in activities that seem to be purposeful, politically correct and humanitarian.
· Performance or abilities:
being exceptional - having gifts or talents that make you stand out.
Interestingly, the world’s success doesn’t seem to always work in favor of the one seeking it. Every week we read about those who seem to project their great success, only to also be caught in a dark web while climbing to, or trying to stay on the top of the world’s bright lights.
What about all of us who work our fingers to the bone to trying and achieve the world’s illusive successes for a few good years?
Eventually, everyone dies.
Then what?
What do we take with us into eternity?
Thankfully, God doesn’t view success through the world’s perspective.
In fact, God values attributes that the proud world often despises.
Could it be that God knows something that this world can’t quite comprehend?
Jesus spoke in His “Sermon on the Mount” (Matt. 5), of blessing on folks who had alternative views and attitudes to that of the world:
· The humble in attitude – those poor in spirit
· Those that mourn (over sin)
· The meek in spirit
· Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness
· The merciful
· The pure in heart
· The peacemakers
· Those persecuted and reviled for righteousness sake
What if we applied these attributes taught by Jesus to honor God, as part of our hard work and ethical lifestyle?
And… what part does suffering play in our life here on earth? All of us will experience some type of suffering.
Suffering
Why does God allow nice people to suffer?
Is there something so profound about suffering that, in our intense struggle and search for “the good life,” we totally miss suffering’s meaning altogether?
It is somewhat ironic that we readily vow “In sickness and in health” in earthly marriage… but we question and tend to blame God when we face trials and other suffering when we are Christ’s Bride.
The Scripture infers, in several passages, God’s alternative view of suffering: If you suffer with Christ you will also reign with Him! (Rom. 8:14; Phil. 3:10; 1 Peter 4:13; 2 Cor. 1:3-5).
Moses’ Pain
Moses was called “A Friend of God” and “A Man of God.” Obviously, God had given Moses a very demanding assignment – bring 2 ½ million or so people out of the slavery of Egypt into their Promised Land.
In Psalm 90 one may pick up some of Moses’ pain for not being allowed into the Promised Land, because of his own failings, and some of his frustration with painful people and pressured lives, through his recorded prayer.
Psalm 90
“A prayer of Moses the man of God.”
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You turn men back to dust,
saying, “Return to dust, O sons of men.”
4 For a thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night.
5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death;
they are like the new grass of the morning—
6 though in the morning it springs up new,
by evening it is dry and withered.
7 We are consumed by your anger
and terrified by your indignation.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 All our days pass away under your wrath;
we finish our years with a moan.
10 The length of our days is seventy years—
or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span is but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away. …
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen trouble…..
Moses doesn’t leave us with a fantastic, upbeat view of life in this Psalm, does he? He is not exactly promoting a “health, wealth and prosperity” philosophy.
Why does God allow those who are seeking Him, to sometimes go through great struggle and at times consuming pain and grief?
Are the suffering and trials of this life somehow connected to eternity?
What does “overcoming” difficulties, sins, suffering and trials of life have to do with God’s design for our time on earth and how does it connect with eternity?
Today, we are going to look at an interesting Psalm revealing four different scenarios in life’s struggles.
This passage is about struggle, suffering, pain and victory for those who cried out to the Lord in humility and faith.
You and I may identify with some of the situations, because their problems and solutions are just as true today as it was when written some 2,500 years ago – because people are people, no matter what generation, culture, or civilization.
Four Painful Scenarios in Life
A. Those who are desperately looking for somewhere to be accepted and call home: Those who feel lonely and Detached from others.
B. Those bound in darkness and the deepest gloom: Those who are Prisoners chained in any number of abhorrent prisons.
C. The Foolish and Rebellious who suffer affliction because of their sins: Those who have been Rebellious, both to God and to man and are reaping the consequences.
D. Hard Workers desperately trying to Earn an honest Living but who still Face a frustrating and calamitous future: The Frustrated Industrious.
Psalm 107
A. The Detached (vs. 1-9): Those who are desperately looking for somewhere to be accepted and call home
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say this—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.
4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
A Handshake is Symbolic of Friendship:
An honorable handshake requires two hands to clasp. Someone needs to reach out. If someone else does not reach out first…take the initiative to reach out.
· If you are seeking friendship, you need to be willing to at least put your hand out.
· Try the doors that God prompts you to open.
Matthew 7:7–8
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Ask, Seek, Knock: Take healthy initiative.
What does a Spiritually Hungry person do to Reach out to Better know God?
Finding a place to call “home.”
· Prayer: Calling out to God for His Direction
· Take Graceful Initiative: Building in the home that is already around you – a primary goal toward a profound stability.
· Be Discerningly Resourceful: Building a home in the community that surrounds you.
“Bloom where you are planted!”
· Look for and Find places to intermingle with those who know and Love God, while learning about the Truth of God’s Word.
· Make sure those participating have a desire to be true to God’s Word, the Bible.
o You have No obligation to have to go to any event or service – go, not for obligation, but because you want to know God better.
o You have No obligation to continue any event or Bible study – continue to attend if you are having a clearer understanding of God’s Word and have a healthy interaction with God’s people.
o Be Cautious and Discerning, while maintaining a genuine and gracious spirit.
o If God is blessing you through your attendance, work through difficulties that will always be present, wanting to participate because of your desire to know God.
Ps. 107:6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
Reaching out to find a Spiritual Home will give meaning for a life that has experienced Detachment and loneliness.
When you find a “home” – Thank God, and build the friendship of your home further by reaching out to others who may also be seeking the same spiritual friendship in their loneliness – especially those who are new to your church or Bible Study.
Ps. 107:8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
B. Prisoners (vs. 10-16): Those bound in darkness and the deepest gloom.
Those plagued by dark emotions, abuses and memories of life’s inequities and other severe tragedies which they had wrapped around them, and through the torture and compliance have become bound.
Psalm 107:10 Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom,
prisoners suffering in iron chains,
11 for they had rebelled against the words of God
and despised the counsel of the Most High.
12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
o Uncontrollable Depression
o Abuse
o Abusive Substances
o Consuming Grief
o Terrible Circumstances
o Injustices
o Failure
o Etc., etc.
How overpowering are the chains when one finds themselves in one of these prisons?
· Oppression from the Enemy (repentance, resist and stand)
James 4:7–10
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Ephesians 6:10–18
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
· Oppression from our Carnality (repent, confess, “die to” and “put on”)
Matthew 4:17
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Matthew 3:8
8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
Luke 13:5
5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
James 5:16
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
1 Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Galatians 2:20 (Die To, see also Romans 6, Col. 3:5-9, Eph. 4:17-32, etc.)
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Colossians 3:12–17 (Put On, see also Rom. 13:12; Eph. 4:17-32, etc.)
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe (put on) yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
· Oppression from the pressures of the World
1 John 2:15–17
Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
· Oppression from the circumstances and sufferings in Life (see ENDNOTES)
Psalm 107:13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom
and broke away their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
C. Rebellious (vs. 17-22):
Those dealing with the Dire Consequences of Sin from Choices of Personal Rebellion
17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
They were literally killing themselves because of the bondage to their obsession, and they didn’t recognize their mortal dilemma until they realized they were on the verge of death.
18 They loathed all food
and drew near the gates of death.
They cried out to the LORD
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent forth his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men.
22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.
D. The Frustrated Industrious (vs. 23-32): Hard Workers desperately trying to Earn an honest Living but who Face frustrating and calamitous Disaster
23 Others went out on the sea in ships;
they were merchants on the mighty waters.
24 They saw the works of the Lord,
his wonderful deeds in the deep.
25 For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
that lifted high the waves.
26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril their courage melted away.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunken men;
they were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
29 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.
31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men.
32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.
The Hazardous Cycle of Righteousness and Wickedness
Israel faced tumultuous times for years through their history as righteous kings guided the nation to blessing, when seeking God, and wicked kings brought God’s discipline and judgment, ultimately destroying the nation and disbursing the Israelites to the ends of the earth for 2,000 years.
Success to Failure for the Wicked (vs. 33-34)
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.
Cursed to Blessing for Those Honoring God (v. 35-43)
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.
43 Whoever is wise, let him heed these things
and consider the great love of the Lord.
This Psalm could have been written about the Children of Israel and the desperate circumstances they faced throughout their history, or it may have been written for any who experience similar issues and trials.
Four times it is written in this Passage:
“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.”
Are there those times that you find yourself in peril?
A. Lonely and Detached from others
B. A Prisoner chained in any number of abhorrent prisons
C. One who has been Foolish and Rebellious
D. Or simply a Frustrated Industrious person who has worked his or her fingers to the bone but has collided with a wall of debilitating circumstances?
If you are experiencing these trials, then: “Cry out to the Lord in your trouble!”
Has God somehow allowed difficulties, struggle with sin, suffering, or trials to be the means whereby the reality of our faith in Him is refining us to reflect His Glory?
There will One Day be Great blessing for those who, by God’s Grace and Power, Persist and Overcome their own Personal Problems and Trials
God’s secret plan allows even the curse of sin and death, which is prevalent and unavoidable on earth for everyone, to itself refine and certify the validity of His Children’s faith, turning terrible sorrow into great joy and giving those who overcome, an eternity of unimaginable blessing and reward.
Romans 8:18
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
2 Corinthians 4:16–18
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
1 Peter 1:7
7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 4:13
13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
________________________
ENDNOTES
Several Biblical Passages regarding Endurance, Overcoming and Suffering in this life, as a Believer in Jesus Christ
Romans 8:17
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
2 Corinthians 1:5
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
Philippians 1:29
29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him…
Philippians 3:10–11
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Colossians 1:24
24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.
2 Timothy 2:3
3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 2:10
10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
Hebrews 5:8
8 Although he (Jesus) was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered…
1 Peter 2:19–23
19 For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
1 Peter 3:18
18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit….
1 Peter 4:1–3
Living for God
4Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 2 As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—….
1 Peter 4:12–19
Suffering for Being a Christian
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And,
“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
1 Peter 5:10–11
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.