In The Word
Read: Psalm 107:33-43
33 He turns rivers into a wilderness,
And springs of water into a thirsty ground;
34 And a fruitful land into a salt waste,
Because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
35 He turns a wilderness into a pool of water,
And a dry land into springs of water;
36 And He has the hungry live there,
So that they may establish an inhabited city,
37 And sow fields and plant vineyards,
And gather a fruitful harvest.
38 He also blesses them and they multiply greatly,
And He does not let their cattle decrease.
39 When they become few and lowly
Because of oppression, misery, and sorrow,
40 He pours contempt upon noblemen
And makes them wander in a pathless wasteland.
41 But He sets the needy securely on high, away from affliction,
And makes his families like a flock.
42 The upright see it and are glad;
But all injustice shuts its mouth.
43 Who is wise? He is to pay attention to these things,
And consider the mercy of the Lord.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
In Psalm 107:43, the author asks, “Who is wise?” The first half of Psalm 107 shows a pattern of man in trouble, he cries out for help, salvation comes, and thanksgiving is rendered. In this second half of the Psalm, we think about the lessons learned.
Sometimes we think our lives are just circumstance. We think that we just live out our lives and that whatever happens happens. It’s out of our control, so why not live how we want? We can’t change anything. But here in verses 33 through 39, we see that God actively worked for man or against him. God changed the landscape around them, changed the weather, blessed their produce, blessed their livestock, increased their families, and provided protection. Our heavenly Father took an active role in their lives! In verse 42, we see the upright people get the Lord’s blessing and they were glad! Not the unrighteous though, they just considered it fate and went on living. They did not know that it could all change if they accepted the love of an involved heavenly Father. So the question is, “Who is Wise?” Who understands the moral of the story? Take time to think about this and consider the loving-kindness of our Lord! It is an awesome thought that the Creator of all things acts this way towards us. He is actively involved in our day to day activities, changing situations to bless us. Do you accept Christ, or do you reject Him? Do you accept the love from the Father? Think on this today!