Fostering Thankfulness: In Change & Injustice
Psalm 107:33-43
The Homeless Brought Home (v. 33-38)
- The psalmist turns his attention to those who have been uprooted from their homes
- The land has stop producing good things (v. 33-34)
- Because of the evil deeds of some who live there
- However, God’s plan for them is not simply upheaval
- But rather to bring them to someplace better (v. 35-38)
- We often fear change
- Because we fear the unknown
- But, we are called to trust God in the unknown
- Because it is not unknown to Him
The Righter of Wrongs (v. 39-43)
- The psalmist reflects on how those who have abused their authority will be humbled
- And how those who have been humble will be raised up
- This is a reflection of God’s justice
- This is not always something that happens here and now (see Matt. 5:2-12)
- We need to have a long-term view of God’s work in the world
- “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Wisdom of Thankfulness (v. 43)
- We must learn to trust Him even when our lives our in upheaval
- Because though our lives change, our God is unchanging
- He is our certainty in uncertain times
- Because He uses these situations to change us
- To helps us learn to trust Him better
- To conform our character to that of Christ’s (Rom. 8:28-32)
- In everything, God is for us
- He uses hardships to mold us and refine us (Rom. 5:3-5)
So What?
- Can we be thankful in the face of change and injustice?
- Trusting God is working for the good to transform us & redeem the suffering
Meditation Verse: Psalm 107:43