to act justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly before our God

(1)  Theme: Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever

(a) (4-9)  Lost, hungry, and thirsty

(8-9)  Jesus satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things  (Matthew 5:6)

(b) (10)  Prisoners in chains because of rebellion

(14)  Jesus brought them out of gloom and broke their chains  (Luke 4:18)

(c) (17)   Fools because of their rebellious ways, are near death, suffering consequences of their sins

(20)  Jesus sends forth his word and heals them, he rescues them from the grave (Matthew 11:5)

(d) (23)  Merchants/business men caught in a storm

(29)   Jesus stills the storm with a whisper, and the waves are the sea are hushed (Mark 4:39)

(38-39)  the  God who can reverse all things

(43)  key verse: Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD.

Prayer:   Jesus thank you for delivering every kind of person in their difficulties. Thank you for being merciful to rescue me, whenever I call to you. I am amazed to see how you save and rescue people in all situations.  I am in awe that your character and actions have not changed from Psalm 107 to 1000 year later when you were on the earth, and to 2000 years after that, to this day.  You’re still satisfying the hungry and thirsty with good things, you’re still freeing prisoners from chains, you’re still sending your message, healing the sick, raising the dead, and you’re still calming storms and hushing waves.  Thank you.   Please help me to remember this and to grasp your great love today.

Exodus 23
“29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.”

This verse came at a time when I was wrestling with God and fighting the many internal giants that happened to be weighing me down at that time.. most prominently, lack of patience/lack of faith with the rate of my spiritual growth.. If overtaking the promise land is symbolic of the process we as new covenant believers face when God calls us to overcome sin in our lives, then it seems as though this verse refers to the need for a slow and steady strengthening of our character.

I’m sure we’ve all asked God (out of exasperation) to take away our flaws in an instant and make us just like Jesus. But this verse reminded me that not only does the Father will to strengthen our hearts and mature us, but also that we cannot handle the great responsibility of one who has reached a high level of spiritual maturity without enduring the right process of time consuming growth. The ultimate example of course is Jesus, and look what the Father’s calling for his life was! =O

Praise God for His sovereign wisdom and love for us, not giving us more than we can handle, but still drawing us closer to Him continuously =)

-jeanna <3

“19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD’s order and did not set out. 20 Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. 22 Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out.” -Numbers 9:19-22

They only moved when God moved. Sometimes it was for a long time, sometimes only for a day–do we obey out of such humility? Contrast this later with the presumption of the Israelites. Even though God decided that that generation that tested Him would not inherit the promised land, and they decided that they would go up against Moses’s warnings that God would not go with them:

” 44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the LORD’s covenant moved from the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.” Numbers 14:44-45

This one stuck out to me as well:

“How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?” – Numbers 14:11

Unbelief and the resulting disobedience is one of the greatest sins. The people saw, and yet they rebelled and tested God. When we see what God is doing and refuse to believe are we not guilty of treating God with contempt?

-mondo