Embracing His Loving Kindness in Your Trial
Psalm 107 has been called “the Old Testament love feast.” It
is one of the most encouraging passages in all of God’s Word, and it is meant
especially for those needing forgiveness, deliverance, or restoration. The final
verse promises the reader an understanding of who Yehovah truly is. “Whoever is
wise will observe these things, and they will understand the lovingkindness of Yehovah” (Psalm 107:43, NKJV).
If you read, observe and study this psalm, you
will have a revelation of Yehovah’s longsuffering and lovingkindness even toward
the rebellious and disobedient. It is proof that Yehovah will never walk out on any
of His children, no matter how low they might have sunk.
This psalm gives us
four classifications of God’s people who end up in trouble and affliction
because of their own doings. Yehovah doesn’t walk out on any of them, not one.
See if you find yourself in any of these categories.
The first kind of a believer in trouble is one who’s starving.“They wandered in the wilderness in a
desolate way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul
fainted in them” (107:4-5). These people once knew the fullness of Yehovah,
but now they are in a solitary wilderness, wandering alone and unable to find
the city.
“The city” in the Old Testament is always Zion,
which represents Yehovah's true called-out Assembly. Today, of course, that city is the true
body of the Messiah that worships in spirit and truth. Multitudes of such believers starve for a true word from Yehovah, going from church to church trying to
find their place. In the end, they give up because they believe there isn’t a
church for them.
Some pastors and congregations simply have no interest in righteousness. Those people only care about having their
“needs met,” so the church’s schedule
is full of activities like father-daughter
dances and family nights at pro sports
events. Do these activities cause hell
to tremble? No, many churches of this
kind are an absolute mockery of God.
On the other hand, some critically-minded believers have become so
hard to please that no church could
ever meet their standard. The least
imperfection drives them away. I knew
a pastor who received an angry letter
because his church bulletin mentioned
“Singles Night.” The letter-writer
accused the church of trying to pair
up lovers. The pastor answered that
he was simply announcing a night of
ministry for single people to worship
God together.
Without regular fellowship among the true body of believers, any believer can end up cold, leaving their first love,
wandering around, continually thirsty.
Some end up sampling unhealthy
doctrines, while others end up isolated
and bitter.
In his mercy, Yehovah has provided a
solution. “Then they cried out to Yehovah in their trouble and He delivered
them out of their distresses. And He led
them forth by the right way, that they
might go to a city for a dwelling place”
(107:6-7). Yehovah says, “I’ll show you my
called-our Assembly. I’ll lead you right to them.” He
has his body of believers all over the
world, and if you cry out to Him, He’ll
miraculously bring like-minded
believers to you. Until that happens, He
will not walk out on you. He promises
to manifest Himself even where two or
three are gathered in His name.
The second kind of a believer in
trouble has fallen into sin by
disobedience to God’s Word.
“Those who sat in darkness and in the
shadow of death, bound in affliction
and irons; because they rebelled
against the words of Yehovah, and despised
the counsel of the Most High, therefore
He brought down their heart with labor;
they fell down, and there was none to
help” (Psalm 107:10-12).
Could this be you? You’ve sat under
godly, convicting preaching. The Spirit
has striven with you, but still, you
sinned willfully. Now you are back in
the clutches of old habits. You are
miserable, your heart “brought down
with labor.”
When a person sins willfully,
disobeying the Word of God, his
tendency is to hide, cower in fear, and
wallow in misery. He thinks it’s all over,
that God can’t use him. When you’re
in that kind of condition, the devil will
whisper to you, “There is no hope for
you. You’re one of those people who
never change. Your sin has forced God
to hide his face from you.”
Here is God’s answer to that. “Then
they cried out to Yehovah in their
trouble, and He saved them out of their
distresses. He brought them out of the darkness and the shadow of death and
broke their chains in pieces. Oh, that
men would give thanks to Yehovah for
His goodness, and for His wonderful
works to the children of men! For He
has broken the gates of bronze and cut
the bars of iron in two” (Psalm 107:13-16).
Hear this well: Yehovah never has; and
never will; hide His face from a crying
child of His. It doesn’t matter how far
you’ve fallen, how many promises to
Yehovah, you’ve made and broken. Your
sins, though scarlet red, will be white
as snow if you will repent and cry out to Him
for help and forgiveness. Only Yehovah can cut the bars
asunder. Only He can deliver you from
your darkness. He is our strength
and our hope.
“Then they cried out to Yehovah in their
trouble and He saved them” (107:13).
The sufferers in this psalm didn’t cry
out to Yehovah after they were out of their
mess; they cried out from within it!
What did Yehovah do? He saved them.
The third kind of believer
in trouble is a fool who has
brought trouble on himself.
“Fools, because of their transgression,
and because of their iniquities, were
afflicted. Their soul abhorred all
manner of food and they drew near to
the gates of death” (Palm 107:17-18).
The dictionary says a fool is someone
who lacks judgment or good sense, one
who makes silly, stupid mistakes. He
does his own thing without thinking
of the consequences.
Many believers are paying a high
price for their past acts of foolishness. Some spent a night in adultery and
have contracted HIV. Some are sinking into financial holes because of foolish
spending. Others are locked in a
terrible marriage because they rushed
into it foolishly.
The despair of many such believers is
unspeakable. They feel helpless, on the
verge of giving up. One man wrote to
me, “I feel like my life is over. There’s
nothing I can do. I just look forward to
death.” These tragic words reflect the
psalmist’s description of this type of
despair: “They drew near to the gates of
death” (Psalm 107:18).
You don’t have to live without hope.
Yehovah has given you His promise that He
does not walk out on foolish people.
“Then they cried out to Yehovah in
their trouble and He saved them out of
their distresses. He sent His word and
healed them, and delivered them from
their destructions” (Psalm 107:19-20).
I get so happy when I read these verses
because I know all the dumb and foolish mistakes
I’ve made in my life. Yehovah knows
there are things we can’t change, words
we’ve spoken that we can’t bring back.
Yet He isn’t asking us to do penance
or make promises. All He asks is that
we cry out to Him in our desperation.
He can heal, prolong life, and provide
supernatural grace. “He sent His word
and healed them, and delivered them
from their destructions” (Psalm 107:20).
Yehovah will send someone to you,
reminding you of His word. All you
have to do is hear His promise and cry
out to Him.
The fourth kind of a believer in
trouble is someone swamped
by an unexpected storm of life.
As I read the following verses, I think
of people facing troubles in their
business or career or in the circumstances that surround them in this world.
“Those who go down to the sea in
ships, Who do business on great waters,
they see the works of Yehovah and His
wonders in the deep. He commands
and raises the stormy wind, which lifts
up the waves of the sea. They mount
up to the heavens, they go down again
to the depths; their soul melts because
of trouble. They reel to and fro, and
stagger like a drunken man, and are at
their wits’ end” (Psa.m 107:23-27).
Businesspeople and career people are
like seamen in ships. The great waters
signify the big world of competition,
an ocean of activity. Suddenly, a storm
breaks out that is beyond their control,
waves of problems threatening to
swallow their boat. “Their soul melts
because of trouble” (Psalm 107:26).
They were able to solve their past
problems, to escape one crisis after
another, but there seems no way of
escape from this trial. “They... are at
their wits’ end” (Psalm 107:27). They can’t
sleep at night for worrying, trying to
reason their way out of their trouble.
Yehovah alone can calm their storm. He
alone can still those threatening waves.
He alone can bring gladness and
peace and lead them into a safe harbor.
“Then they cry out to Yehovah in their
trouble and He brings them out of
their distresses. He calms the storm so that its waves are still. Then they
are glad because they are quiet; so He
guides them to their desired haven”
(Psalm 107:28-30).
I want to tell such readers, “Don’t let
your situation get into your spirit. Bring
it all out before Yehovah Elohim - God. Go into your
secret closet and cry out everything to
him. He can do what you can not do on your own.”
God is not about to walk out on you. He
is with you in the battle to the end, no matter
how it came upon you. He is in you,
with you, and besides you, no matter
what. “Nevertheless He regarded their
affliction when He heard their cry”
(106:44). Hallel Jah - Praise Yehovah.
Written by David Wilkerson and edited by Bruce Lyon
