Sermon

Psalm 107:1-3, 32-43

A Matter of Faithfulness

Dr. Philip W. McLarty

If you like symmetry and order, form, balance and structure, this psalm’s for you! I like the way Charles Spurgeon describes it. He says,

“The construction of the psalm is highly poetical, and merely as a composition it would be hard to find its compeer among human productions. The bards of the Bible hold no second place among the sons of song.”

Psalm 107 is not only beautifully crafted, it’s chocked full of insight into the many ways God proves his faithfulness to us. And that’s what for us to think about in the sermon this morning: How God is faithful to us, even when we are not faithful to God.

I don’t think you’ll have any problem making the connection – the more you’re aware of God’s faithfulness and steadfast love, the more you’re able to respond with gratitude and devotion and praise.

That’s the theme on which the psalm begins and – wouldn’t you know it? – it’s the theme on which the psalm ends.

“Give thanks to Yahweh,
for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.
Let the redeemed by Yahweh say so,
whom he has redeemed from the hand of the adversary,
And gathered out of the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south….
Whoever is wise will pay attention to these things.
They will consider the loving kindnesses of Yahweh” (Psalm 107:1-3, 43).

So, who are the redeemed? The psalmist names four groups. The first are those who’ve gone astray. He writes,

“They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way.
They found no city to live in.
Hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted in them” (Psalm 107:4-5).

Sound like anyone you know?

There are a lot of people today who are adrift. They’re searching for something to give their life purpose and meaning. They’re looking for something to fill the emptiness of their soul.

Whether it’s emotional – seeking peace of mind … or relational – longing for companionship … or vocational – hoping to find a better job … or spiritual – feeling that God is distant and far away … they feel frustrated and empty.

They do all sorts of things to try to fill the void – they go shopping or to the movies or to the sports bar or to the casino or wherever else trying to satisfy a craving deep within.

It never works, at least not for long. As Marc Almond says, they’re “looking for love in all the wrong places.”

That’s the first group the psalmist mentions. The second are those who’ve rebelled and rejected the authority of God. The psalmist describes them this way:

“Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
being bound in affliction and iron,
because they rebelled against the words of God,
and condemned the counsel of the Most High” (Psalm 107:10-11).

I read a letter this week from an inmate in the county jail. It was sent to his former employer. He wrote to apologize for the many ways he’d failed to live up to the employer’s expectations. He said, “Working for you was the best job I ever had, and I blew it. You treated me like a son, and I let you down. I’m so sorry.”

God’s law is as plain as the nose on your face:

• Thou shalt not have any other gods before me.
• Keep the Sabbath holy.
• Don’t lie, or steal or kill.
• Don’t commit adultery or take the Lord’s name in vain.
• Honor your mother and father, and don’t covet what other people have.

Jesus made it even simpler. He said,

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
This is the first and great commandment.
A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
The whole law and the prophets
depend on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40).

We understand perfectly well what God would have us to do – or not to do. We just don’t want to do it. We don’t want to surrender our wills to God’s will. We want to call the shots. We want to do our own thing. Frank Sinatra spoke for us all when he sang, “I did it my way.”

The third group are those who are lost in sin, who’ve strayed so far from the truth that they’ve lost their appetite for what is wholesome and good. They no longer care. The psalmist says,

“Fools are afflicted because of their disobedience,
and because of their iniquities.
Their soul abhors all kinds of food.
They draw near to the gates of death” (Psalm 107:17-18).

Kathy and I had dinner some time ago with a former member of this church. The waitress seated him at a booth across from us, and we invited him to join us. We had a great time reminiscing about the old days and catching up on family and friends.

When it came to the church, he was woefully silent. I invited him to come back and assured him he’d be welcomed with open arms. He jokingly said if he were to walk into the sanctuary, the roof would collapse. He was just being polite. There was little doubt that his days of going to church and Sunday School … or reading the Bible … or spending time with God in prayer … were a thing of the past.

He’s not the only one. There are a lot of folks today who are spiritually dead in the water. The secular world of sports and entertainment and recreation and politics and amusements of every kind is all they care about.

Then there’s the fourth group. They suffer through no fault of their own. The psalmist writes,

“Those who go down to the sea in ships,
who do business in great waters;
These see Yahweh’s works,
and his wonders in the deep.
For he commands, and raises the stormy wind,
which lifts up its waves” (Psalm 107:23-25).

If it bothers you that the psalmist gives God credit – or blame – for the storm at sea, you need to understand that, in the Old Testament, God is all-powerful and sovereign over all creation. Nothing can happen apart from God. If disaster strikes, then somehow, someway, God must be behind it.

We prefer not to think this way. Yes, we believe God is all-powerful; and yes, we believe God allows bad things to happen, but we don’t believe God causes bad things to happen – that God singles us out to teach us a lesson. The storms of life are simply part of the natural order.

So, going back to when this psalm was written, the psalmist describes in the language of the day those who were going about their normal routine of buying and selling and shipping goods, when a great storm came up out of nowhere, and their lives were in peril.

This speaks to us all, at some time or another. You’re going about your business, not causing trouble, doing your part, when all of a sudden, disaster strikes and the rug is pulled out from under you.

• The stock market falls and wipes out a lifetime of savings.

• The pathology report comes back with evidence of cancer.

• A competing firm buys out your company and your job is outsourced overseas.

• You get a call in the middle of night saying there’s been an accident, and your son or daughter is in the hospital and you need to come quickly.

These things happen, and there’s no rhyme or reason to it. How do you to explain to a young couple why their baby was born with birth defects?

The Good News of this psalm is that, in all four examples of helplessness and despair, God proves his faithfulness. God hears the cry of the needy and responds with compassion and love. Listen! Four times the psalmist writes,

“They cried to Yahweh… and he delivered them …” (Psalm 107:6, 13, 19, 28)

It’s a matter of faithfulness … God’s faithfulness. God is faithful, even when we are not. God is faithful, even when we bring misery on ourselves. God is faithful, even when it’s due to circumstances beyond our control. God is faithful. Herein lies our hope.

The question is: How to respond? The psalmist answers the question 1-2-3:

One: Cry out to the Lord. Don’t be afraid to admit your need. It doesn’t matter whether you’re to blame or not, ask the Lord to help you. Ask the Lord to give you strength and direction and the wisdom to know what to do and the courage to do it.

And don’t worry about the extent of your need. I’ve heard people say, “I don’t want to bother the Lord about something as trivial as this.” In God’s sight, nothing is trivial, if it affects one of his children.

I’ve also heard people say, “This is so big, I don’t even know where to start.” Well, nothing is too big for God. If it’ll make you feel better, God already knows your need before you ask.

So, begin with prayer. Call on the Lord. Ask God to help you. Remember what the psalmist said, “They cried out to the Lord, and he delivered them.”

Two: Give thanks to the Lord. Give credit where credit is due. When the crisis is over, remember who got you out of the jam.

Don’t be like the little boy who climbed up on top of the barn. The tin roof was slick, and he began to slide. He prayed, “Lord, help me, I’m falling. Save me, and I’ll do anything you ask.” Just like that, he stopped. Just as quickly, he blurted out, “Never mind, my pants just got caught on a nail.”

It’s only natural to ask God for help when things go awry. As the old adage goes, “There are no atheists in foxholes.” You can be confident the Lord will hear your prayers and give you grace sufficient for the need, no matter how desperate you are. What’s important is to remember to say thank you when things get back to normal.

And know this: The more you say thank you – the more you express gratitude to God, not only in moments of crisis, but throughout the day – the more you’ll see God at work around you, blessing you with countless gifts of grace and love, from the sunshine on your shoulder, to the air you breathe, to the smile of a stranger crossing your path.

Step three: Share the Good News with others. Don’t be ashamed to tell others what God has done for you. As the psalmist says,

“Let the redeemed by Yahweh say so….
Let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and declare his works with singing” (Psalm 107:2, 22).

I don’t know why it’s so hard for Presbyterians to talk about their faith. It’s not because we don’t believe in God. Presbyterians are among the most devout Christians I know. And it’s not because we don’t have religious experiences. I’ve known plenty of parishioners who’ve experienced nothing short of a miracle. It’s just that we’re reluctant to talk about it. We don’t want others to think we’re fanatics.

We need to figure out a way to change that. We need to learn how to share our faith more openly with others, not to call attention to ourselves, but to convey a simple message: What he’s done for others, he can do for you.

Let’s wrap it up. God is faithful, not just some of the time, but all of the time. Trust him to be faithful to you. And, as you experience God’s grace and love, return the favor by being faithful to God … and taking a moment to share your experience with someone you know. This is what

Katharina von Schlegel did. She put her faith in a song, and it goes like this:

“Be still, my soul, the Lord is on your side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to your God to order and provide,
In every change God faithfully will remain.
Be still, my soul, your best, your heavenly friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible.

Copyright 2011, Philip McLarty. Used by permission.