The Psalms have brought tremendous comfort and guidance to so many for so long. Join me in taking a fresh look at each Psalm. As you read through them, I urge you to reflect, pray, and apply these devotional bits of encouragement to your own life. Today, we study and reflect on Psalms 106, 107, and 108.
Reflection 1
God takes note of our distress and hears our cry for help. Let that sink in a bit. The creator God of the universe is constantly dialed into you and me. We are never beyond the personal presence of God and never out of His view. He sees us at all times and always knows what we are going through. What are you distressed over today? What is your cry for help about? God knows and cares. He sees you, knows your concerns, and hears your prayers. Take confidence and hope in Him.
“Yet he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; Save us, Lord, our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the Lord.” — Psalms 106:44, 47-48
Reflection 2
Not to be a killjoy, but so much of life is about navigating challenges, adversity, problems, and difficulties. One of the keys to life is navigating our problems and apparent dead ends well. What I have found is that I can either worry and fret and be anxious, or I can focus on doing something good for God and others. It’s a matter of what I want to focus on. If God is with me and cares for me, He will help me. I don’t need to obsess over my issues. Rather, I can cast my concerns at His feet, pick myself up, and look for ways to be a difference-maker in the lives of others. What are you focusing on today? Who can you bless?
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.” — Psalms 107:1-3, 6, 8-9, 28
Reflection 3
Steadfast. Resolute. Unwavering. Do these words describe you, or are you more like a leaf blowing in the wind? Do the circumstances and uncertainties of life sweep you off your feet, or are you anchored? Is Christ your center? Deep and unrelenting faith in Jesus anchors us. Winds will blow, storms will rage, doubts will pound. We can have assurance, confidence, and certainty that our Resurrected Savior is with us, has a future for us, and will walk with us through whatever life challenges besiege us. Be steadfast. Be resolute. Be unwavering. Because of Christ.
“My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.” — Psalms 108:1, 4-5