Psalm 107:19-21 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent out His Word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for humanity.
We are tempted to ask, "Who are they?" when we read verse 19. It could be a lot of people. The psalmist, the Israelites, an unidentified person or persons. The short answer is "the redeemed"; we find this in Psalm 107:2. As we read Scripture, it’s easy to think, "That's not me. It must mean someone else”, especially if it is an accusation or condemnation. We are quick, however, to claim God's promises and confidently say, "Yes, that's for me!"
We should always ask, "Who is the subject here?" Scripture is written for all God's people. We are the redeemed, and we can heed every warning, claim, and promise as our own. Scripture speaks to you and me. God's words rebuke, encourage, promise, warn, instruct, and give knowledge and wisdom. Every word is from God's mouth to our ears; will it go farther, to our mind and heart?
I have spent much time in airports and often listened to the announcements while sitting and waiting to board. There are often calls to warn tardy passengers that their fights are about to leave. This happens so often that people often ignore them. Over and over, names are called with increasing urgency. Once, a well-meaning agent announced, "Mr. James Walker, you must board your plane immediately. We don’t want to leave without you, but we will." Everybody chuckled when Mr. Walker, short of breath, arrived at the gate. He had not been paying attention. He thought the agent was talking to someone else, not him.
When Scripture speaks, it speaks to you! It’s easy to understand that by immersing ourselves in the 750,000+ words of the Bible, we might conclude it's not all for us; God must be talking to someone else at times. Thankfully, that is not true. The word of God is a gift to you and me. Not one word would change if you were the only person to ever receive the Scriptures. God is purposeful in his words, and the complete, thorough Gospel message is the same for one or one billion.
Because it is written to you, let's make these verses personal. "Then I cried to the Lord in my trouble, and He saved me from my distress. He sent out His Word and healed me; He rescued me from the grave. I should thank the Lord for His unfailing love and wonderful deeds for me."
Now, let's try it as a personal prayer: "Dear Lord, I'm in trouble. Please save me from this distress. Send out your word and heal me. Rescue me from utter ruin. Thank you, Lord, for your unfailing love. Thank you for all you have done for me already!"
It makes a difference when we own it by putting our belief in God's unfailing love into action. In this verse, it is important to see that the “trouble and distress” are undefined. Trials are different for each of us and vary in degree of suffering. This is no matter to the Lord. We cry out, and he saves us in his time. Salvation, healing, and rescue are guaranteed outcomes because you are his redeemed child. It is a birthright for all those born again in Christ, and how does the Lord accomplish this? His word.
It is unclear what "he sends out His Word" means precisely. It may mean the written word of God, where we find hope, wisdom, and assurance. It may mean Christ, the Word (John 1:1,14), who was sent as our Redeemer. It may mean a literal thought or word was sent by God to the troubled, or the troublers, that brought relief. It doesn't matter; all refer to the power of God's spoken word. When he wills, and he speaks, your distress ends. This is the same voice that spoke all of creation into existence. (Genesis 1:3; Psalm 33:9; Hebrews 11:3) How could we doubt that his word would rescue us from our afflictions?
God is personal. He hears you when you speak to him; he always listens and has a solution ready for you. He yearns to hear you call his name. His ear is attentive to his children who are crying out to him. What a great comfort to know that the God who created all of creation loves us enough to hear our doleful cries.
Meditation Points
1. How personal is the message of Scripture to you?
2. How powerful is the word of God for your needs?
3. How can you make God’s even more personal to your life?
So true. He is and always will be the initiator. So glad his love for me doesn’t waiver. Wish that I could make that claim but my heart is prone to wander. Thankful that he’s got me.
An apt word and reminder that I needed to hear today.