In John Knox’s lifetime, he confronted two queens as he was outraged by the heresies that corrupted the church in Scotland. Eventually he joined in rebellion to the throne and was arrested and sold as a slave to the French, under whose treatment few survived. Eventually he was released, and he returned to Scotland under threat of his life. As he headed to St. Andrews friends warned him not to go, out of fear for his life. He responded, “As for the fear of dangers that may come to me, let no man be solicitous. For my life is in the custody of him whose glory I seek. And therefore, I cannot so fear their boast nor tyranny that I shall cease from doing my duty when God of his mercy offereth the occasion.” ¹

How does someone find the strength and courage to take such steps? These are the questions I try to answer year after year as I read biographies of men who have taken such paths. And time after time, it seems that the answer is consistent. It is not that they are any less aware of the reality of the situation than we might be. It’s not as if they are unclear that it might cost them their life. However, they know something that is more real to them. They known someone who is real to them, and they know that it is he who has called them.

In our day, it is sad that even in the church we have come to miss the importance of knowing God, of knowing what God is like, his character, and his ways. At one point it seems that even though the world gave no care to this thought of the character of God, at least you could find anxious ears in the church. Now, however, in many ways we have given ourselves to pragmatism, which reigns in our day. We only want to know what we think we need and what will work. We want to know how to have better kids and happier pets or how to enjoy our jobs more and feel better about ourselves. But the questions of God’s character and his ways have no place for our needs, so the present church culture might have us believe.

Therefore, it is by no accident that with the lack of care for who God is, we have a lack of dedication and courage toward exalting God’s name. For these things no doubt go hand in hand. Nor is it by accident that immorality pervades much of the church (which may be made up of many who are unregenerate), for it is only by thinking rightly about God that one will live rightly before him. Consequently, as a church culture that wants to rid ourselves of thinking about God because we simply want to live better lives before him, we are like one who does not want to study because we want to focus on doing better on the next test. We are ridding ourselves of the very thing which is given for hope in our desire.

This worldview, that thinking rightly about God is of no importance to those who simply want to live in obedience day after day, is completely foreign to the pages of Scripture. In fact, many of the Psalms spend time focusing solely on God’s nature, often exhorting the reader solely to consider his ways. Such is our Psalm today. Psalm 107 would be deemed irrelevant by much of the church today. Now, I do not mean that the many in the church would actually say such, but were you to bring the content of this Psalm and the exhortation therein to them, they would claim that such is not helpful, for simply contemplating God’s nature, one might say, is of no benefit to the modern (or postmodern) man.

However, I pray that we have a different thought in this regard, this morning. I pray that we are not telling God what we need, but are rather hearing from God in his Word what it is that we need. And one cannot escape the reading of Scripture without realizing that considering the nature of God is nothing short of absolutely necessary for the believer hoping to live a life of glory to God. Consequently this morning, let us examine this Psalm and see what it teaches us of our God, for I believe that such is the Psalmist’s aim.

The Psalm is made up of a beginning and ending refrain (the latter longer than the former) with four similar scenarios or cycles in between these that are there to teach us of the nature of God and what is our proper response toward him. Thus, let us have ears to hear what the Psalm shows us.

First, we see that God is sovereign over all things

That is to say, God is ultimately in control of all things. He is not limited in power or wisdom in any way. Thus, with the cycle in verses 4-9, he is able to lead them by the straight way, he is able to bring them to a city to dwell in, he is able to satisfy their longing soul, and he is able to fill their hungry soul with good things.

Again, in verses 10-16, the Lord is the one who bows “their hearts down with hard labor” (12). And after they cried to the Lord, “He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and burst their bonds apart” (14). Thus, the psalmist ends, “For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron” (16). Do you see? They did not simply find themselves in difficult circumstances and happen to come out of them. No. It was the Lord’s work. He put them there, and he brought them out.

Then in verses 17-22, as these men are ready to die because of their sin, “He sent out his word and healed them and delivered them from their destruction” (20).

Next, in verses 23-32, it is the Lord would “commanded and raised the stormy wind” (25). And it was the Lord who “made the storm be still” and hushed the waves of the sea (29). It was the Lord who brought the men to their desired haven (30).

Finally, in the last refrain (33-42), the psalmist simply erupts in extolling God’s sovereign power. He turns bad things into good, good into bad, and draws things to his desired end. God is indeed in control.

Ironically, this attribute of God is something that has been somewhat lost in our generation. In fact, we’ve taken on such a picture of God that if we read the Scripture in light of God’s sovereignty, he would appear foreign to the God we think we know. And there seems to be something in us that wants to fight against this attribute of God. Maybe it is that we ourselves want to be in control, and so to declare that God is in control of all things goes against our very nature. Maybe it is because if we admit that God is in control and nothing occurs apart from his ultimate say-so, then we struggle to be able to say comfortably that God is sovereign when great evil is occurring. And though that is a hard question, the Biblical answer is never to conclude that God is not in control.

Rather, it is to remind insist that God is in control even then. Thus, we must see that this is true, and I believe we need to understand that this is good for us. For if we do not see that God is in control, and never abdicating his position (even in the midst of bad things), then we lose all basis for hope. So, if the tornado that rips through does not pass through God’s hands, then why should we have hope that God might answer our prayers of protection? Why do we even think that God is able to answer prayer? For if we believe that some evil happened against God’s ability to stop it, why would we think that God will or even can show himself more powerful tomorrow?
God’s sovereignty is ironically something we might fight against because we might detest it, and yet it is an attribute of God that we need desperately. In the psalm, the individuals are able to cry out to the Lord because it is known that he can deliver them from their distress. But one might say, “Yeah, but just wait until the struggles in your life mount up, and then see if you believe you desperately need God’s sovereignty?” Here I will simply point to Spurgeon, whose suffering was greater than most of ours. He said, “It would be a very sharp and trying experience to me to think that I have an affliction which God never sent me, that the bitter cup was never filled by his hand, that my trials were never measured out by him, nor sent to me by his arrangement of their weight and quantity.” ²

Concerning this quote John Piper has commented, “This is exactly the opposite strategy of modern thought, even much evangelical thought, that recoils from the implications of infinity. If God is God he not only knows what is coming, but he knows it because he designs it. For Spurgeon this view of God was not first argument for debate, it was a means of survival.” ³ I think you will confess the same, for you know God’s character. This is why it’s so important to cultivate an intimate knowledge of God. “My God’s behind this” should be a comfortable realization.

God’s sovereignty is necessary for our lives. Thus, though some might ask, “Why even pray if you confess God’s sovereignty?” the scriptural question would ask, “How can you pray if he is not?” Thus, God’s sovereignty is our basis for hope in prayer and is our hope for believing everything in our life will work together for good, for conforming us to the image of Christ. Only a completely sovereign God can promise such things and fulfill his promises. Therefore, do not fight against saying that God is in control or confessing that no power is outside of his hand, for such is the proclamation of Scripture.

Though great, mighty, and in no need of us, God lavishes mercy and love toward those who recognize their need for him

The above statement concerning God’s sovereignty might be a difficult realization were the Scripture not so clear in pointing our God’s great mercy and love. This psalm specifically wants us to see this. It begins, “Oh give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his steadfast love endures forever” (1). Four times throughout the psalm we read, “Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men!” (8, 15, 21, 31). And the psalm ends, “Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things, let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord” (43).

God’s sovereignty might indeed be a horrible reality were the Scripture not so clear in depicting God’s love as greater than one can comprehend. In fact, that is how Paul frames God’s love in Ephesians as he prays that these believers “may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.” (3:17-18).

Therefore, this morning, should you find yourself in a difficult situation and you need God to care for you, what should you do? The answer we read over and over in this psalm is that these individuals “cried to the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress” (6, 13, 19, 27).

But you might say, “Yeah, but my predicament is because of my sin.” Sure, the psalm depicts men who are simply in a position of great struggle, such as those with no city (4), but every other occasion is because of their sin. In verses 10-16 the men “had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High” (11). In verses 17-22 it begins, “Some were fools through their sinful ways and because of their iniquities suffered affliction” (17). And in verses 23-32, though it is more subtle, we read in verse 26 that they “melted in their evil plight.” Therefore, it is clear that these men were in a desperate and despairing situation because of their sin. And it is here that the enemy will try to convince us that we are not worthy to call out to the Lord or that God does not care to aid us, for we are wallowing in our punishment. However, the psalmist shows in every example the Lord delivering them and caring for them and helping them. He shows example after example climaxing in his exhortation for the reader to consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

Therefore, this morning, maybe you have sinned greatly, have wandered from God, have simply not been about a consistent walk, and now you find yourself in a desperate and despairing situation, do not wait until you’ve gotten things back under control and feel worthy to cry to the Lord. Cry to the Lord in your distress. He is sovereign, so he is able to change even you, and his love is beyond comprehension. Therefore, this morning, humble yourself before him and say, “Lord, I’ve sinned, and yet right now I need you so badly. I need you to deliver me. I need you to comfort me. I need you to love me. I know nothing is outside of your strength. And I’ve considered your love which is depicted as greater than I can comprehend. Thus, though my mind might tell me that love on my level would have nothing to do with me, I am trusting the character of your love depicted in the Scripture.” This is indeed a clear attribute of the God of the bible.

Finally, we see that our right response toward God is one of worship

This exhortation to worship is constant through the psalm. The first verse tells us to give thanks for the Lord for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Verse 2 tells us that those whom the Lord has redeemed from trouble should say so. Four times we read that we should thank the Lord for his steadfast love. We also read that we should tell of his deeds in songs of joy and extol him in the congregation and praise him in the assembly of the elders (22, 32).

In fact, a life of worship will only be lived by those who consider God’s character and ways. It is stifling to living a life of sacrificial praise to God if you do not know him, his character, and his ways. I pray that as was the case with many saints who came before us that the reality of our God will be more real to us than the reality of the struggle and despair of any situation before us. For only then will we worship our Lord as we should.

Therefore, as we come to the table, let it be a time of worship today. I am going to give you a time of silence today. And especially if you’re in a difficult situation and doubted God’s ability or his love, I want you to consider it and let it drive you to prayer and worship. If you come in feeling distant and unworthy because of your sin consider God’s mercy and love, especially in light of what we celebrate at the table.

For the good of his church and the sake of his glory, Amen.

¹With great regret I only have a second-hand source for the above quotation. It was spoken by R. Albert Mohler, Jr. at the Bethlehem Conference for Pastors at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN on February 8, 2000. The title of his address was, “Courage in Ministry: Historical Examples.”

²Darrel W. Amundsen, "The Anguish and Agonies of Charles Spurgeon," in: Christian History, Issue 29, Volume X, No. 1, p. 25.

³http://www.desiringgod.org/library/biographies/95spurgeon.html

CONSIDERING THE NATURE OF OUR GOD