God is Good to All

Psalm 107:1-43

Psalm 107 ought to be an encouragement to anyone who has felt lost, alone, suffering, or in danger. It shows one of the strongest characteristics of our God?that He is good to all. This is true even when He allows storms into our lives. By the way, this particular psalm was a favorite of the pilgrims who came over from England to Plymouth in 1620. Governor William Bradford, in his account of Plymouth Plantation, explicitly referred to Psalm 107.

1 ? 3

This is sort of the entire psalm in a nutshell. We should give thanks?it?s an obvious statement, but how often do we? And how often do we thank God in the midst of our worst trials when it seems all is lost?

Why give thanks? Because God is good. The Hebrew word: Tobe means: beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, fair, (be in) favor, fine, glad, good, graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, loving, merry, pleasant, pleasure, precious, prosperity, sweet.

We hear the phrase ?God is love? but this is also a core part of the character of God. He is good. Further, as we?ll see as we move through the psalm, God is good to all humanity. He?s good even when it doesn?t seem to us that He is good.

Why is He good? Because of His ?faithful love.? This, again, is ?chesed?, covenant love. God has decided to make a covenant of love with us. It doesn?t mean He stops being holy, but it means He has found a way for His love to work through justice and holiness?and that?s found in the next phrase.

How is he good? He has redeemed us from the hands of a foe. Sometimes the foe is our own stubborn will, sometimes it is the culture around us, sometimes it is literally an enemy who wants to destroy us. We?ll see each of these in the following verses.

It is the redemption of the Lord that brings us, as Peter said, ?out of darkness and into His marvelous light.? (1 Peter 2:9).

Further, His redemption has allowed Him to gather a people unto Himself. Again, 1 Peter 2:

1Pet. 2:9         But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,

            a holy nation, a people for His possession,

            so that you may proclaim the praises

            of the One who called you out of darkness

            into His marvelous light.

10       Once you were not a people,

            but now you are God?s people;

            you had not received mercy,

            but now you have received mercy.

How does this happen? The psalmist gives us six examples out of the history of Israel, each of which can instruct us as to God?s redemptive power.

4 ? 9 Lost

The setting for this is the wanderings of the Israelites in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt and their subsequent rebellion at the edge of the Promised Land.

They were hungry and He provided Manna and quail. They were thirsty and He provided water, they were lost and He led them eventually to Canaan where He provided them a home.

But I want to focus on this phrase in verse 4: ?finding no way to a city where they could live.?

The writer of Hebrews takes up this subject in Hebrews 3-4. He?s talking about rest, having a place to call home. The Israelis refused to enter the Promised Land because they did not trust God. But now ?we who have believed enter the rest? (Hebrews 4:3).

There are many paths we can take that we think might lead us to rest, peace, satisfaction, and a sense of home and belonging. Along the way we hunger and thirst for that thing that satisfies us deep in our soul.

Jesus said in Mattew 11:28   ?Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.?

Jesus is home, He is peace, He is rest, and He is satisfaction.

10 ? 16 Enslaved

Though no specific historical reference is mentioned. It?s likely that the imprisonment mentioned here is that of Babylon. But the spiritual metaphor is apt. Israel sinned and became enslaved by cruel masters until they repented and God set them free.

As Jesus began His public ministry, He said this:

Luke 4:18       The Spirit of the Lord is on Me,

            because He has anointed Me

            to preach good news to the poor.

            He has sent Me

            to proclaim freedom to the captives

            and recovery of sight to the blind,

            to set free the oppressed,

19       to proclaim the year of the Lord?s favor.

Jesus knew that rebellion against God has enslaved all of us.

John 8:34 ?Jesus responded, ?I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.?

Paul said: ?Don?t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey?either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were transferred to,?(Romans 6:16?17 HCSB)

If we are caught and cannot escape from sin, we just need to change our minds about it, get on page with how God feels, and reach out to Him for rescue, for freedom. Then we too can give thanks for breaking down the bronze gates.

17 ? 22 Hungry

These verses talk about those that suffer in their bodies the consequences of their rebellion. How they couldn?t eat and felt like they were going to die.

Now I?m certainly not saying that all sickness is the result of sin. Not at all. This probably refers to the time in the wilderness when the Israelis rebelled against God?s provision and timing and they suffered for it. They were fools because they didn?t listen to God and didn?t trust Him.

But certainly for us, we can fight against God working in our lives as much as we want, but we are fighting against the good and that which truly satisfies us.

23 ? 32 In a Storm

Sometimes God sends a storm into our lives as we?re just going about our business. Discipline isn?t always because of something that needs to be corrected. Sometimes it is just something that needs to be strengthened. We can always learn to trust the Lord more!

33 ? 38 Thirsty

Not every Jew who went to Babylon was willing to return, especially to a place that had been turned into such a desolation. But the psalmist here says God can reverse even natural resources, causing the comfort of Babylon to run dry, and the deserts of Judah to flourish. No matter how comfortable we are in this age, it is always better to trust in God to guide us because eventually the things of this world dry up and are unfruitful.

39 ? 42

Not only did God return Israel to the land, but he threw out those that had taken over in their absence. We read about this in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. And no matter how powerful the rulers of this age seem, God will bring them down.

43

The psalmist concludes by wanting us to pay attention and consider the Lord?s acts of faithful love. There is a lot of sorrow here, a lot of difficulty, a lot of discipline. Yet God is good in every situation.

Rom. 8:28   We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

There is a purpose for everything that happens to you. I want to point out some things from this psalm:

• God is good to all, always
• God is in charge, always
• God brings things into our lives for multiple reasons
• Our job is to rely on Him, praise Him, realize He is good?always!

Are you lost, hungry, thirsty, in the darkness, imprisoned, in danger, under affliction, in a storm, or in the desert? Don?t find answers from this age, but let the Lord ?gather? you into His arms. Drink deeply of His love as you place your loyalty in Him and Him alone:

John 4:13   Jesus said, ?Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again?ever! In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life.?