Four

“LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
Psalm 107:6, 13, 19, & 28 NLT

Every week, my post is created from three key notes that come together to form a chord; I call it my “hum.” These three essential notes are 1) what I read in the Bible, 2) what is going on in the world around me, and 3) that battle going on between my head and heart. I continue to be amazed by the way God allows those three things to collide every single week. This week,

I was working on a project that took me outside of my normal Bible reading schedule; I was bouncing around a wide variety of Old and New Testament lessons.
I was exposed to an unusually high number of stories of suffering in the world around me.
There was a tension between my heart and head in discerning what to do with the information; how am I equipped to aid the struggles of this world?

As always, the collide came in bits and pieces throughout the week. The “aHa moment” is still settling in as I type this right now, but it is so awesome that I can’t help but share it today!

In Psalm 107, the author (anonymous, as far as my research tells me) speaks to four different types of suffering.

The Wanderer: “Some wandered in the desert, lost and homeless. Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died.” (v. 4-5)
The Prisoner: “Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, miserable prisoners in chains. They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High. That is why he broke them with hard labor; they fell, and no one helped them rise again.” (v. 10-12)
The Distressed: “Some were fools in their rebellion; they suffered for their sins. Their appetites were gone, and death was near.” (v. 17-18)
The Storm-tossed: “Some went off in ships, plying the trade routes of the world. They, too, observed the LORD’s power in action, his impressive works on the deepest seas. He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves. Their ships were tossed to the heavens and sank again to the depths; the sailors cringed in terror. They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits’ end.” (v. 23-27)

Then, the Psalm proceeds to offer hope in the resolution of each type of distress.

The Wanderer: ” ‘LORD, help!’ they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress. He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live.” (v. 6-7)
The Prisoner: ” ‘LORD, help!’ they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains.” (v. 13-14)
The Distressed: ” ‘LORD, help!’ they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He spoke, and they were healed – snatched from the door of death.” (v. 19-20)
The Storm-tossed: ” ‘LORD, help!’ they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor!”

And, our response…

ALL: “Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for all his wonderful deeds to them.” (v. 8, 15, 21, 31)

AMEN, Anonymous-Psalmist!!!! You rock! Thank you, Jesus, for an epic aHa tension-resolution: the very best thing I can do for all types of pain, stress, grief and distress in the world outside of me AND inside of me comes in two words.

“LORD, help!”

___

LORD, help! Let us be found in you, break our chains, snatch us from the door of death and hold us tight in the storm and the calm. We praise you for your great love and all your wonderful deeds! Amen.