8 God’s Wonderful Goodness: Psalm 107
8
God’s Wonderful Goodness
Psalm 107
“We were out in the boat and this storm came up and the waves were getting bigger and bigger . . .” “It was getting dark and cold and I realized I was lost . . .” “I had made such a mess of things, I didn’t know how I’d ever get out of the situation . . .” Stories like that grab our attention because we want to hear how it all came out. Psalm 107 is a series of dramatic “short stories” that make us keep asking, “What happened next?”
GROUP DISCUSSION. Respond to this statement: “The phrase ‘thank you’ should be eliminated from the language because it is unnecessary. People should do things just because they need to be done and shouldn’t require any show of gratitude.”
PERSONAL REFLECTION. Consider a time you especially appreciated being thanked for something. Consider also a time when you went out of your way to do something for someone and you were not thanked. How would you describe the difference in your feelings? How did being thanked or not being thanked affect your relationships with those people?
A psalm by an unknown writer takes us through the histories of a number of unnamed people, all of them undoubtedly members of ancient Israel. Read Psalm 107.
1. What picture of God do you find throughout this psalm?
2. How do you find this encouraging?
3. The psalmist relates four different incidents in verses 4-9, 10-16, 17-22 and 23-32. What brief title or headline would you give to each incident?
4. What elements do all four stories have in common?
5. How is God’s unfailing love demonstrated in each account?
6. Each scene begins by describing a calamity and a cry for help. When have you hit bottom before crying out to God?
7. Why do we so often have to hit bottom before we cry out to God?
8. Each scene concludes by describing God’s salvation and calling us to give thanks for his unfailing love (vv. 8, 15, 21-22, 31-32). Why is it good to thank God?
9. What prayers has God answered recently for which you are thankful?
10. According to verses 22 and 32, what are some ways we can give thanks?
11. What do verses 33-42 reveal about God’s hand in the ups and downs of our lives?
12. Verse 43 states that if we are wise, we will “heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord.” What specific things do you think God would want you to pay attention to in this psalm?
Pray prayers of thankfulness for the Lord’s deliverance from trouble. Pray prayers that express both your trust and your need for help, like the people in Psalm 107, for those situations where you are still in the middle of crisis.
Now or Later
Write your own “Psalm 107” detailing the history of a time (or several times) you were in distress and cried out to God and God delivered you.