540_Let the redeemed of the Lord give thanks

Psalm 107:1-9 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
whom he has 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 a city to dwell in;
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
till they reached a city to dwell in.
8 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
9 For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

Vs. 39-43 When they are diminished and brought low
through oppression, evil, and sorrow,
40 he pours contempt on princes
and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
41 but he raises up the needy out of affliction
and makes their families like flocks.
42 The upright see it and are glad,
and all wickedness shuts its mouth.

43 Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

There is a story told of a young soldier who returned home after years of war. His family had prayed every day for his safety. The day came when he stepped off the train, worn and weary, but alive and overwhelmed with gratitude. His parents hugged him tightly. His father knelt right there on the platform. He exclaimed, “I never want to forget who brought my son back to me. I never want to miss saying, ‘Thank You, Lord.’”

Deep down, we all know that when we were pressed into corners we could not escape, it was God who stepped in to rescue us. The only fitting response is gratitude. And yet, strangely, giving thanks does not come naturally. It is natural to cry out when we are desperate, whether religious or not. But only a redeemed and grateful heart will stop to look back when the storm has been calmed, and to ponder, “Who is this who commands the wind and the waves!” This is the grateful heart.

This is exactly what Psalm 107 is about. It is a song of the redeemed, a call to God’s people to remember and give thanks. The psalm opens with these words: “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble.” Thanksgiving is not optional—it is the mark of those who belong to God.

We are reminded of the gospel story where ten lepers came to Jesus. They were desperate men, forced to live outside the city, away from family and community, carrying not only the pain of disease but also the shame of isolation. They cried out to Jesus for mercy, and Jesus, with his great compassion, healed them all. Yet, out of the ten, only one returned to say thank you, to fall at the feet of Jesus, and glorify God. Jesus asked, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?”

That story exposes our hearts. We are quick to pray, quick to plead, but slow to return in gratitude. Psalm 107 insists that the redeemed should not be like the nine who forgot to come back.

The psalm unfolds by describing four different groups of people who experienced God’s redemption. Each one had been in a desperate condition, each one cried out to the Lord, and each one was delivered. And for each group the refrain is repeated: “Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!”

First, it describes wanderers in the desert. They had no home, no city, no place to belong. They were faint with hunger and thirst. Yet when they cried to the Lord, he led them to a city where they could dwell. He satisfied their longing souls and filled their hungry hearts with good things. To these, the psalmist says, “Give thanks.”

The second group are held captive because of their rebellion. They were prisoners bound in iron, for they had spurned the counsel of the Most High. Yet, when they cried out to the Lord, he brought them out to freedom.

The third group are the sick, those near to death. The psalmist does not hide the reason: “Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction.” They had brought suffering upon themselves. And yet, when they cried to the Lord, he sent forth his word and healed them, rescuing them from the grave. To these as well, the psalmist says, “Give thanks.”

The fourth group are sailors on the deep sea. They saw the power of God in the deep, for he commanded the stormy winds and raised up mighty waves. They staggered helplessly before the vastness of the ocean. But when they cried to the Lord, he stilled the storm to a whisper and brought them safely to harbor. To these, too, the psalmist says, “Give thanks.” God is the Lord of creation, sovereign over the winds and waves, able to subdue all things to his own will.

This psalm paints a marvelous picture of our God, as a guide for the lost, a liberator for the captive, a healer for the sick, and a master of the seas for those overwhelmed by life’s storms. He is the Redeemer in every situation. And the refrain echoes again and again: “Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!”

God has power not only to rescue but to transform the very circumstances of life. He can turn rivers into deserts and deserts into pools of water. He can bring down the proud who trust in themselves. He can lift up the poor and needy, setting them in families and making them flourish. He is in control of both the great forces of nature and the small details of our lives.

The conclusion? “Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.” Wisdom is not simply knowing about things. It is trying our best to understand God’s truth – that he is love – and keep it in trust and gratitude and holiness.

Let gratitude become an intentional practice. Left to ourselves, we will be like the nine lepers. We will rush on to the next crisis. But the redeemed of the Lord will recall his mercies and thank him. Life is not easy. But always, God is faithful and he reigns.

If life looks bleak or confusing, let us remember that God is the one who leads wanderers home. He delivers from sinful patterns of life. He heals sickness of the soul. He sends forth his word to fulfil his will. He stills the storms of fear, of pressure, of grief – and takes us where he will.

So let us practice thanksgiving, to glorify him and to encourage others, to declare to the world that God is good and his steadfast love endures forever. As 1 Thessalonians tells us, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Let us not forget, nor let us be silent, but joyfully thank him for his steadfast love and his wonderful works.