The New Revu\ised Standard Bible, Psalm 107 verse 21 says "some went down to the sea
in ships...doing business on the mighty waters, " I can't seem to draw away from that thought.
Having lived on the shores of the Bay of Fundy with its world famous tides for practically all of my life, I guess might be the reason I find this portion of the psalm so intriguing. Yesterday while driving from the center of the city to our home out on the coast, I couldn't help noticing that there were at least seven very large crude carriers (VLCC) better known as super tankers waiting to be off loaded at the deep water terminal of the local oil refinery's deep water facility. Apparently there is or was a problem with an oil leak (or so the rumour goes) at the off load facility and I presume the costs would be phenomenal to have this many ships full of crude oil held up. That is certainly an example of "doing business on mighty waters." Sometimes these problems are unforeseen and therefore nothing was done to prevent it from happening, but it will cost big time as a result. Life can be like that, yo are going along, seemingly everything is going fine in your life,then all of a sudden something goes wrong and it just seems to snowball. Everything it seems goes wrong...what do they call it? Murphy's Law? Anything that can go wrong will go wrong? Something like that. And we throw up our hands in defeat. Look again at what took place in this picture that the psalmist paints for us. And also as we look into these words of the story teller here you will notice that all that befalls us is not from the devil because maybe it is a test from God or maybe its just life. Verse 25: "For He commanded and raised the stormy wind which lifted up the waves of the sea, They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths;" ...Look at how these mariners responded..."their courage melted away in their calamity; they reeled and staggered like drunkards, and they were at their wits' end." Have you ever been to wits' end corner? A place where you did not know which way to go? Life can deal you some big storms, but the answer once again...let it ring out "Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out from their distress, He made the storm be still; and the waves of the sea were hushed."
Sometimes the church faces some fierce trials, unfortunately most we make for ourselves, and that is when we need to cry out to the LORD as a body of believers instead of just sitting idly by and murmuring about it...let's pray. Verse 32 tells what we should do..."Let them extol Him in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders."
And so be it...amen, amen!

I have entitled this psalm, a psalm for the church and even though it gives us several specifics, it is still part of the bigger picture of the unmatched, unmerited favor that the LORD has bestowed upon humankind. Verses 17 and 18 are two verses that stand out to me and again I am reading from the NRSV:
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.” Let us not assume (as the Pharisees did) that everyone who is sick has sinned and God is punishing them through sickness. People do get sick because of their lifestyle, that we know, but that is not always the case…those who live Godly in Christ Jesus get sick sometimes too. Have you ever been so sick that just the thought of food makes you sick? I’m sure we have all been there at one time or another. However the answer is still found in desperate praying…VERSE 19 “Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distresses, 20. He sent out His Word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction.” The Word of God is alive and it is powerful it says in Hebrews 4:12…it can heal and deliver as the psalm writer declares here in this portion I have been quoting from. All you need can be found within its pages…just obey it and take God at His Word; take it at face value, you can trust His Word, you can stand on His Word…..I know, I have had to many times and He has answered when I cry out to Him. In the 4th. Chapter of Genesis, the very last verse says, “And as for Seth, to him also was a son born; and he named him Enosh” And then it says, “ Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.”
“Then began men to call on the name of the LORD” People did not always pray…and they still don’t. Paul said to pray without ceasing. Jesus said that men ought always to pray and not faint. When we face a difficulty that we cannot handle, we need to pray and when things are going great….that’s when we really need to pray because that’s when we are most vulnerable. Prayer is the way through all circumstances. Maybe it is a sick loved one or perhaps it is of a spiritual nature…could be financial, whatever, …back in Genesis chapter four somebody found the truth, they found the answer…”Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.”
Are you at the point of despair? Has the enemy of your soul said things will never change, that lost loved one will never get saved? He is a liar….God still answers when we call on Him in faith believing, desperate prayer.

Psalm 107…a psalm for the church.
I have been quoting mainly from the New Revised Standard Version and today’s blog will come from that version as well. At least a portion of it. Verse 16 says, “He shatters the doors of bronze, and cuts in two the bars of iron.” Have you ever prayed and it seemed like the heavens were brass…like there were brass doors to the throne and they were shut , even slammed in your face? That there were bars of iron in front of the doors? Have you felt that the LORD wasn’t listening?
I’m aware that I may be taking liberties here with the text, however I see at least a parallel here. There are two parables found in the Gospel of Luke that may help you when it seems like God isn’t listening. The first one that comes to mind is found in the 18th chapter and it tells of a widow and an unjust judge; He uses this example to show those He was talking to, their need to always pray and not lose heart. It reads thusly: verse 2.“In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for the people (you’ll find that’s usually the case, if you do not fear God, then it is highly unlikely that you will respect people, including one's self).3. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “Grant me justice against my opponent.”4. For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5. yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.”
In the next three verses Jesus gives us an answer when it may seem that the doors to heaven are solid brass and they are locked up securely…6.” And the LORD said “listen to what the unjust judge says, 7. And will not God grant justice to His chosen ones who cry out to Him by day and by night? Will He delay long in helping them? 8.I tell you He will quickly grant justice to them.” The Psalmist said “He shatters the doors of bronze, and cuts in two the bars of iron.” There is a soul-searching question in this parable that our LORD asks “And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” The only real faith on earth has to be found in the church, the living, breathing church of the LORD Jesus Christ, the church of the living God.
The other parable that comes to mind is found in the 11th. Chapter of St. Luke’s gospel verses 5 through 13 and again it talks of the need to persevere in prayer…you can look it up in your Bible if you want to but I’ll make it easy for you and quote it here, this time from the New International Version
5Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'
7"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness[a] he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[b] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Does it seem like the heavens are like doors of brass? Remember by persevering in prayer, God will shatter the doors of bronze for you today and He will answer…don’t give up.

Friends, the church is in crisis today, or at least it may look that way but remember Jesus said “I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. We need old fashioned prayer meetings, persevering prayer meetings, prayer meetings that will shatter the doors of bronze and cut in two the bars of iron. It is our only hope.

Remember this…old fashioned revival, which we so desperately need, only comes through old fashioned prayer and old fashioned repentance…..that includes all of us...the church!

Psalm 107:10-15..."Some sat in darkness and in gloom, Prisoners in misery and in irons."



What a picture the psalmist paints for us here in these five verses. It's a picture of what sin does to an individual who is bound by sinful habits that destroy the soul as well as the body, a picture of darkness, gloom, misery and all this reminds one of a prisoner in chains of iron. We saw such an individual yesterday in a hospital clinic...a young man in leg chains with his hand in a cast and two gourds with him from the sherriff's dept. A pathetic sight really. The psalm writer indicates that the reason for all this misery is rebellion against the Words of God. Some folks are sick and lying on death beds because they have rejected the love of an eternal God. One might ask if that is God's judgement and I would say not necessarily, rather it is a result of a lifestyle that has no room for God and therefore no room for His blessing and divine protection. Paul says in Romans that the wages of sin is death.


It says in verse 12 of our psalm that "their hearts were bowed down with hard labour"...sin is a hard task master; the verse goes on, "they fell down with no one to help" Self help groups may be a help in some areas but only Jesus can save your soul, only Jesus can fill that emptiness and only Jesus can lift you out of sin. The rest of that portion of scripture verses 13-15 reads, "Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress; He brought them out of darkness and gloom, and broke their bonds asunder. Let them thank the LORD for His steadfast love, for His wonderful works to humankind." What mercy and grace Jesus provides that when we were still sinners, He died for us...all we have to do is cry out to Him and He will hear us.

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases...Psalm 107 verse 4-7, "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."I'm quoting from the New Revised Standard Version.
I have entitled this psalm a psalm for the church. Sometimes the church is like that..you may feel like that in your congregation, like you have been wandering in a desert wasteland where there is no inhabited town. When we were in Arizona with our friends this past spring we had to detour and drive hundreds of miles out of our way across a desert and then through some mountains and it was good when we finally reached our destination...an inhabited town called Sedona. Many times the church is rerouted to go across a desert place and it is good to get back on track and that can only happen when we call on the LORD as in verse 6 of this psalm. All of God's people need to do that because even though we are part of the corporate body, we are still individuals and we need that personal experience with the LORD. And prayer is so necessary in our relationship; talking to God like He was your best friend...and He is. Verses 8&9 say this, "Let them thank the LORD for His steadfast love, for His wonderful works to humankind, For He satisfies the thirsty, and the hungry He fills with good things." When Judy was sick I cried unto the LORD...the church cried unto the LORD and He satisfied my hungry soul...He has given me the desires of my heart. Try crying out to Him in your need and surely He will lead you into an inhabited town.

Psalm 107;a psalm for the church. The recurring theme in this psalm suits God to a "T"and the first instance is found in verse1 appropriately. Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever; that is from the NKJV. Reading from the NRSV it says "for His steadfast love endures forever"
Steadfast means; fixed in direction, steadily directed,unwavering, firmly established. That kind of love has to be the God kind of love...it does not come from the natural man. We love our own family or our friends a little bit like that but sometimes even then we don't love like we should. The Bible says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We certainly did not deserve this love; you cannot earn it, but you can depend on this one thing when all around you is chaos and trouble..."His steadfast love endures forever."

I have entitled this series, a psalm for the church and it is taken from Psalm 107 and my thoughts are tempered by these words found in verse 20, "He sent His Word and healed them."



In Gloucester, Massachusetts there is a statue with a portion of a verse that comes from this psalm..."Those who go down to the sea in ships,who do business on great waters,

24 They see the works of the LORD and His wonders in the deep.
25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind,
Which lifts up the waves of the sea.
26 They mount up to the heavens,
They go down again to the depths,
Their soul melts because of trouble.

Isn't this a picture of life? You go to work to earn a living for your family like these mariners that the psalm writer speaks of and life deals out some pretty severe weather just because you are alive...saint or sinner; it doesn't matter...that's life; tossed on the waves
verse 27, " They reel to and fro like a drunken man, And are at their wits end"
Sounds like life to me...you see none of us are exempt from trouble. But there is hope for the one whose faith is in the God that I serve and His name is Jesus. He is exclusively...God. Look at verse 28, "Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29 He calms the storm, So that its waves are still."
"He calms the storm." Is there a storm in your life today? Are you worried and anxious over something that is too big for you to handle? Are the cares of life overwhelming you?
You do not need to carry these things alone...give them up...give them over to Jesus.
There is a verse that comes to mind from Psalm 55, verse 22, "Cast your burden on the LORD and He will sustain you." He will keep you...and He will keep your loved ones and save those that are lost. You can trust Him.

A psalm for the church part two//Psalm 107 says in verse 20, "He sent His Word and healed them. At the risk of playing with the context of this psalm, I use this verse as a text to give testimony of God's healing power. I was not going to give anything to the blog today, however I have so much to be thankful for that I am compelled to do so.
I have been standing on the Word of God for a definite healing for my loved one and He has come through again and I praise His name like the psalmist in verse 8, "Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and His wonderful works to the children of men." This day I go on record to say thank you Jesus for your miracle working power, for you have truly done great things for me. Eph. 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her"...I can honestly say that is how I love my wife.