We live in a world that celebrates self-made women and men. From the tech entrepreneur to the Harvard graduate with humble beginnings, our culture loves to lift up the individual able to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.
But you and I have a different story to tell. We confess that we couldn’t do it. We needed help. We needed to be redeemed. We found ourselves in a powerless, vulnerable position, and the only prayer we were able to pray was: “Lord, help!” Our psalmist celebrates the way God rescues us when we cry out in need.
If you can remember praying that prayer and now find yourself standing firmly planted on the other side of it, our psalmist has words for you: “Speak up. Say thank you to God. Tell others about what God has done for you.” When we have experienced grace, we are invited to express our gratitude and bear witness to the way God’s love can bring rescue in the most desperate of circumstances. We are invited to share the good news that God out of his own free and faithful love has chosen to redeem us.
For others, things might feel a bit more desperate. If you find yourself in that spot, in need of rescue, I encourage you not to hesitate to ask for help. I invite you to sit with the testimonies of this psalm, and consider crying out with the simple prayer God loves to hear, “Lord, help!” Hold that longing before God and put your trust in his faithful love.
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-23 NLT
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out!
Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
3 For he has gathered the exiles from many lands,
from east and west,
from north and south.
17 Some were fools; they rebelled
and suffered for their sins.
18 They couldn’t stand the thought of food,
and they were knocking on death’s door.
19 “LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them,
snatching them from the door of death.
21 Let them praise the LORD for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.
For Reflection and Prayer:
Was there a word, a phrase, image, or feeling that ‘shimmered’ as you listened? Allow it to land in your heart. Stay with it. Savor it.
Reflect on what you heard. What effect does it have on you? What meaning does it hold for you? What does the Holy Spirit seem to be conveying to you? Talk it over in your prayer. Perhaps you want to draw or color your prayer or journal the conversation.
As the time of prayer comes to a close, share some moments of quiet with Jesus, simply resting safely in his presence.
Photo by Jean-Pierre Brungs on Unsplash