Psalm Meditation 721
Palm Sunday
April 13, 2014

Psalm 107
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, those he redeemed from trouble
3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
4 Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to an inhabited town;
5 hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.
6 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress;
7 he led them by a straight way, until they reached an inhabited town.
8 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.
9 For he satisfies the thirsty, and the hungry he fills with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness and in gloom, prisoners in misery and in irons,
11 for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
12 Their hearts were bowed down with hard labor; they fell down, with no one to help.
13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress;
14 he brought them out of darkness and gloom, and broke their bonds asunder.
15 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.
16 For he shatters the doors of bronze, and cuts in two the bars of iron.
17 Some were sick through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities endured affliction;
18 they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death.
19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress;
20 he sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction.
21 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.
22 And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices, and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.
23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the mighty waters;
24 they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep.
25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26 They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their calamity;
27 they reeled and staggered like drunkards, and were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress;
29 he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
31 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.
32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
33 He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground,
34 a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
35 He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water.
36 And there he lets the hungry live, and they establish a town to live in;
37 they sow fields, and plant vineyards, and get a fruitful yield.
38 By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their cattle decrease.
39 When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
40 he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
41 but he raises up the needy out of distress, and makes their families like flocks.
42 The upright see it and are glad; and all wickedness stops its mouth.
43 Let those who are wise give heed to these things, and consider the steadfast love of the LORD.
(NRSV)

No matter your distress or calamity, God is present in it offering presence, comfort, peace and an end to the difficulty. If only because God brings our problems to an end, we have reason to give thanks. When we are lost, in body, mind or spirit, God sets us on a path that leads us where we need to be. When we find ourselves imprisoned, in a prison of our own making or by the force of others, God brings light to the darkness and sets us free. When we are sick, God brings us healing and relief. When we are tempest-tossed, God is the one who calms the storms within and without. God is also the one who turns the good things of the wicked into bad things for them. According to the psalmist, God is the one who brings good things to good people and is the cause of suffering for evil people.

The works of God are a wonder worthy of our thanks. The first and foremost reason for giving God thanks is the steadfast love God has for us. God loves us no matter what. Whether we are good and righteous, or wicked and evil, the love of God is poured out on us. The folks who strive to live the way God calls us are the ones who will feel the love of God as a blessing and a reason for thanksgiving. The wicked and evil will feel the love of God as a thorn of judgment, if they feel God’s presence at all. Whether we know it or not, feel and experience it or not, the steadfast love of God is a gift available to each one of us.

The refrain of the psalm is a good refrain for us as well, “Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.” A couple of tweaks and changes, including changing ‘them’ to ‘us’ or ‘me,’ and this is an excellent reminder that God is with us. Sometimes the works of God include deliverance from our difficulties in the way we would like to have that happen. Other times the works of God include being present with us as we figure and find out what deliverance means in this particular situation. In every time the steadfast love of God is with us no matter what, and that is something for which we can be deeply thankful.

April 7, 2014