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 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!
For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
This Psalm explores God’s faithfulness to praise Him and encourage His people. The writer reminds believers that when their forebears cried out to the Lord, as Israel did in the wilderness, the Lord always answered and delivered. He also commands that the believers thank God. In the midst of any troubles, even that which they had brought on themselves through sinfulness, idolatry and rebellion, the people of the Lord called out to Him. In every case, the Lord heard the cries not because they proceeded from the sincere hearts of His people, but because of His steadfast love and His covenant promises.
Almighty God is sovereign over all creation, over the entire universe. The Lord is in control of the forces of the natural world so that they are His instrument of either punishing the wicked or of blessing His people. In many ways, the blessings of the Lord also fall on the wicked and unbelieving, such as sunshine and rain in due season. In all that happens, however, blessings or cursing, the Lord uses these forces which we call “mother nature” to humble those who are proud and self-sufficient, and also to lift up the downtrodden and weak. This is further cause for praising God.
At those times when we experience adversity we do not always see the hand of God. Then though we are tempted to think He has abandoned or forgotten us we must praise Him as we see in the scriptures and in our own lives and the lives of fellow Christians that jHe has always shown Himself to be trustworthy. When we think about those times in life when God seemed silent we might think He had abandoned us. Yet even in the silence He was speaking. He was calling us to trust in Him no matter what.