“Give
thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” A familiar refrain from Psalm 107 that is
echoed throughout Scripture. In this
psalm, there is a clear pattern that repeats itself of ABCD, ABCD, ABCD, and
ABCD. For each time through, the “A” is
an example of on type of trouble that people endure in life, “B” is the
universally appropriate response, “they cried out to the LORD in their trouble”,
along with God’s ever-merciful response, “and he delivered them from their
distress”. “C” is the description of how God saves, and “D” is the necessary
response of thanksgiving from humanity, “Let them give thanks to the LORD for
his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men”. Thus the “B” and “D” are like the chorus of a
hymn, repeated each time through to show that no matter what the problem is,
where it came from or what caused it, the proper response is still to cry out
to the LORD who will hear and help, and then to follow that deliverance up with
thanks given back to God. The purpose of
the psalmists words is to show us that we have only one place to turn in times
of trouble, for only God can save and he is willing to do so, and to teach us
that we owe God our gratitude for all that he has done for us. In much the same way as the venerable hymns
of Luther, Wesley, Crosby, and our other favorites, not only is the psalm meant
to be pleasing with its sound when sung, but thought provoking to our minds as
we consider its words. The last verse
sums it up, “Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great
love of the LORD.”
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sermon Video
This blog serves as an outreach for Pastor Randy Powell of the First Baptist Church of Franklin, PA. Feel free to ask questions or send me an e-mail at pastorpowell@hotmail.com
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