Psalms 107: Homeless

Last week I met with my friend Kresta and she introduced this passage to me. I don't remember ever reading it before, although that doesn't mean I haven't. For whatever reason, when we read through it at Roots it completely grabbed my attention. In the days since, God has pulled me from the Acts study that I was in the middle of and pointed me toward this scripture again and again. He has opened the passage up to me and seems to be teaching me things through it.

So I thought I would post what I'm learning from it, since it helps solidify it in my heart and mind.

"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 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south."
- Psalm 107:1-3

The redeemed are called to proclaim that "He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever" and to give thanks to the Lord. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so."

Who are the redeemed? Later in the passage it talks about 4 different groups of people who are redeemed, but let's look at the word "redeem" first to get a general picture of it.

re·deem

/rɪˈdim/ Show Spelledverb (used with object)

1. to buy or pay off; clear by payment: to redeem a mortgage.

2. to buy back, as after a tax sale or a mortgage foreclosure.

3. to recover (something pledged or mortgaged) by payment or other satisfaction: to redeem a pawned watch.

4. to exchange (bonds, trading stamps, etc.) for money or goods.

5. to convert (paper money) into specie.

6. to discharge or fulfill (a pledge, promise, etc.).

7. to make up for; make amends for; offset (some fault, shortcoming, etc.): His bravery redeemed his youthful idleness.

8. to obtain the release or restoration of, as from captivity, by paying a ransom.

9. Theology . to deliver from sin and its consequences by means of a sacrifice offered for the sinner.

God buys us back from the slavery of sin. God recovers us from the pit we find ourselves in. God fulfills His promise to us. God restores and releases us. God delivers us from our sin and the consequences of it.

How did He redeem us?

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. "
- John 1:14

Christ is our redemption.

Alright let's look at the 4 different types of people that have been redeemed.

Homeless
Prisoners
Sinners
Workers

"Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them."
- PSalm 107:4-5

These people are homeless, having no home or "city to dwell in". Because they don't have a home, a center to their lives, a place from which to base their work and operations and relationships out of, they are hungry and thirsty. They are without hope, "their soul fainted within them." They live in desert wastes that they can't find their way out of and are on the brink of death, at the end of their rope, with no other options in front of them but to die.

"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble and He delivered them from their distress."
- Psalm 107:6

A miracle happens. The homeless recognize their plight, that they have no way out and no options before them and they cry out to God. How amazing is it that God hears us everytime we call to Him? And how beautiful that He would deliver us from our distress.

Have you ever thought about the times of despair in your life? It's these times in our lives that I believe we finally see our need for God and for rescue. When we realize we can't do it ourselves. It's when we've completely exhausted our abilities and resources for our own gain that we can look up and understand that Christ is the fulfillment of everything we need. I think these times are essential to our growth and maturity as Christians. Otherwise, how will we ever know? If we are not completely exhausted through our own efforts, how can we understand God's grace and mercy that He would come and fix our messes? If we surrendered to God's will before we've reached the end of our proverbial rope, won't we always think in the back of our minds "I could do it by myself if I wished. I could accomplish my goal". We must kill that idea in our heads. We must put to death anything in our spirit that says "I can" instead of "He can". It can no longer be about our ability or our giftings or our resources or our glory, but about Him. About the Holy Trinity and about bringing Them the glory.

God is most glorified in our failings, when He swoops in at the very edge of despair and restores and rescues and rightens us.

"He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in."
- Psalm 107:7

A straight way. A straight shot. Easy peasy. I think this is to show just how lost and incapable we are of taking care of ourselves. It's like we're children in an exceptionally large sandbox that get turned around and sit down and start crying because we think we're stuck forever, and God the parent hears us crying and stands us up and points to the left, where the exit is. The exit that was right in front of us the whole time, but we freaked out and couldn't see it. Or falling into the water and freaking out, screaming that we're drowning, only for God to gently touch us on the shoulder and say "stand up. the water' is only a foot deep." You feel silly don't you? Embarrassed probably. But again, aren't these times necessary for us? Don't we need to see how great He is and how small we are? Isn't it healthy to understand you're shortcomings and that Christ fills those shortcomings? It's ok that we're a little crazy and get lost easily, because Christ loves to rescue us. God loves it when we call on His name. He loves to swoop in and rescue us, point us in the right direction. Because it all brings Him the glory.

He loves to bring us home.

"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 107:8-9

Ah, this passage isn't talking merely about those who are physically hungry or thirsty. Not just those we are actually lost in a desert and can't find the city. Those whose "soul faints within" them. How great is our God, that He satisfies our souls! Our souls ache and moan, they desire to be fed and to be satisfied and our minds can't understand them. We don't know what we need, we don't know what we desire, and so we wander around aimlessly, chase after things without knowing why. And when we find that we can't satisfy our own souls, we can't ease the pain we feel deep inside, God comes in, because He loves us, and satisfies that which we can't express in words.

The result of this satisfaction? Love. Love pours out of our hearts unbidden for this great and awesome God that would come down out of heaven to live and die on earth just so He can rescue us and we can have this intimate encounter and life spent worshiping and bringing glory to Him.

"Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love"