A Psalm about The God Who Loves and Saves

I’ve been working on Volume 4 of my series, “Psalms Bible Study Guides” — How to Pray Like David: A Bible Study on Psalms 107-150.

The following is an excerpt. Lord willing, it will be published later this year.

A Psalm about The God Who Loves and Saves — Psalm 107

“The Bible is a book about God.”

So wrote Jen Wilkin in her book, Women of the Word.

The profound truth of that sentence has been embedded in my brain since the day I first read it. It is my favorite way to answer the question, “What is the Bible all about?”

God is certainly center stage in Psalm 107. More specifically, the unnamed psalmist wants us to thank God often for his attribute of love and his action of salvation.

Please read the psalm and note how often the psalmist mentions God’s love and salvation:
God’s love: verses 1, 8, 15, 21, 31, 43
God’s salvation: verses 2, 6, 13, 19, 28

Another favorite quote of mine is “Repetition is a great teacher.” We see that here, don’t we?

The words “save” or “salvation” do not actually appear in this psalm, but two synonyms of “save” are used: redeem (v. 2) and deliver (v. 6, 13, 19, 28).

In Scripture, God’s attributes and actions are inseparable and therefore appear together often. The character of God is demonstrated through the conduct of God.

The psalmist begins by saying that “the LORD… is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” (v. 1). Then he says, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands” (v. 2-3).

God’s goodness and love (two magnificent attributes) are demonstrated through God’s redemption of his people from exile (one amazing action). The opening three verses set the stage for the main section of the psalm (v. 4-32), the centerpiece of this hymn. Here we find four easily identifiable sub-sections — based on the four paragraphs of the ESV or NIV:

Story #1 – v. 4-9
Story #2 – v. 10-16
Story #3 – v. 17-22
Story #4 – v. 23-32

If you are fond of alliteration, these paragraphs could be entitled: “4 Stories of Salvation,” or “4 Pictures of Peril,” or “4 Tales of Trouble.”

Q1. Read through verses 4-32 and record your thoughts on each of the four stories by answering these questions:

a. In your own words, describe the perilous situation. What kind of trouble are God’s people experiencing?

b. What is the cause of their trouble? (Story #1 may not reveal the cause, but Stories #2, 3, and 4 certainly do.)

c. How does God show his love for his people? Specifically, what does he do for them?

Q2. All four stories focus on God’s provision of physical, temporal salvation for his people. As you reflect on your own life, how has God delivered you from one or more of these physical perils? Write out a brief description of a troublesome time and what God did to save you. Examples could be: an illness, a financial setback, a death in the family, an accident, a job loss, etc.

Q3. When answering Question 1, you may have noticed that Story #2 and Story #3 include clear references to the sin of God’s people, as well as God’s response to that sin, as the cause of the trouble. Can you recall times of trouble that you brought on yourself because of your sin? What did God teach you through that situation? Did you confess your sin and repent?

Q4. In each of the four salvation stories, we see this repeated verse:
“Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble” (v. 6, 13, 19, 28). In your own life, what does it look like when you “cry out to the LORD in your trouble”? For example, do you tend to do this by yourself, with other believers, or both?

Q5. In Story #3, we read that God “sent out his word and healed them” (v. 20). As you reflect on your own salvation stories, what impact did the Word of God have in God’s provision of your deliverance? What specific passages of Scripture did God use to facilitate his salvation? Take time to read them now and offer praise to God for these precious words!

Q6. As you meditate on God’s physical salvation, please note the psalmist’s repeated exhortations to offer thanksgiving to God for both his attribute of love and his action of salvation (see verses 8, 15, 21, and 31). Maybe you have done that many times already. Or maybe not. Either way, please take time now to express your gratitude to God in writing. Use your pen or keyboard to pour out your heart to him. Tell him how thankful you are for his goodness, love, and “wondrous works to the children of men.”

Q7. Verse 32 encourages us to “extol him (God) in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.” Why not set a goal to express your thankfulness to other believers this week, either in a formal or informal setting, whether in a worship service, a small group, or a one-on-one conversation? You are more likely to accomplish this goal by writing it down right now and asking God to empower you to “extol him” in the presence of others.