Psalm 107

Yes, I changed the look of my blog entirely. And I may do it again before my next post, so don't get too comfortable. ;) I really am just playing around with it and figuring out what I like at this point, I imagine it'll take awhile before I'm totally happy with it.

But that is not what I came here to say. So on to the good stuff.

This post is actually the reason why I decided to start a blog. I've been randomly reading in the Psalms lately... and by randomly I mean I pick a number between 1 and 150 and turn there. I like to think that the number that pops into my head at that moment is somehow divinely inspired and that God is going to tell me exactly what I need to hear that day. It sounds kind of silly, but it does happen on occasion. Like last week, when I found myself in Psalm 107.

I love this passage so much that I would type the entire thing out for you to read if I didn't think that might bore some of you. So I'll stick to quoting and summarizing. And you can always look it up and read it yourself. ;) Seriously though, my heart has been stuck on this and I found myself really wanting to write about it and tell SOMEONE. Or perhaps everyone... no one in particular, I just wanted to say it and put it out there for someone to read. So here you go. You're welcome.

 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
  whom he has redeemed from trouble
(Psalm 107:2 ESV)

After I started reading, I realized that this is the verse that Angela Hurst kept going back to during her talk at the Mars Hill Women's Training Day, which was the Saturday before last (amazing day, more on that later perhaps). Our stories are very different, but a lot of what she says really resonates with me. I have been through some junk. Some serious, serious junk. If you don't know my whole story, and have 3-4 hours with absolutely nothing to do, I will gladly lay it all out for you. It would make a good soap opera. Drama, drama, drama.

But... I am redeemed!! And because I am redeemed, I can shout my messy, soap opera story from the rooftops because God has taken something ugly and made it into something beautiful. Or I should say He is *making* it into something beautiful. That is the other huge take away that I got while reading this. I have come SO far from where I was. My bad days now are nothing compared to my bad days 6 years ago. But... I still have SO far to go.

This psalm is about God's steadfast love... a love that never stops, even when we turn our backs on God and don't deserve to be loved. He is always there, waiting for us to cry out to Him.

 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
  and he delivered them from their distress.
(Psalm 107:6 ESV)

All we have to do is ask! Why is this so hard sometimes? I look back at my own life and clearly see all the distress He has delivered me from, but when a new problem arises, my flesh struggles to turn to Him for help first. I think I can handle it... it's not a big deal. Right? Oh how much I still need to learn! This exact verse shows up 4 times in Psalm 107. Do you think I maybe needed to hear it more than once? Well played, God.

 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
  for his wondrous works to the children of man!
(Psalm 107:8 ESV)

This verse also appears 4 times. Cry to the Lord, thank the Lord. Cry to the Lord, thank the Lord. Cry to the Lord, thank the Lord. CRY TO THE LORD. THANK THE LORD. Yup, 4 times seems necessary. I am so very thankful for how far the Lord has brought me from where I used to be. It is so easy to only focus on how far I still have to go and not stop to just be thankful for what He has already done. It is truly amazing and a complete testament to His amazing grace.

His work on the cross is finished, but His work in me is never-ending. At least not on this side of heaven. So I thank the Lord for his steadfast love, and I anticipate the next time I get to cry out to Him in my trouble (probably tomorrow). And yes, I said *get* to... because it is a privilege, one that I certainly don't deserve.

Okay... who made it to the end?? Congrats! ;)

-Autumn