4th Tuesday of Lent (March 12). Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story

Prepare to Listen.  O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever.
 
Prayerfully Read Psalm 107:1-9
1O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
   for his steadfast love endures for ever.
2Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
   those he redeemed from trouble
3and gathered in from the lands,
   from the east and from the west,
   from the north and from the south.
4Some wandered in desert wastes,
   finding no way to an inhabited town;
5hungry and thirsty,
   their soul fainted within them.
6Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
   and he delivered them from their distress;
7he led them by a straight way,
   until they reached an inhabited town.
8Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
   for his wonderful works to humankind.
9For he satisfies the thirsty,
   and the hungry he fills with good things.
 
Prayerfully Wonder and Reflect
What caught your attention in this Psalm today?
 
“Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story.”[1]  And in Psalm 107 they do.  Four groups tell their stories of redemption.  Their circumstances were different—lost in a desert (v. 4), in darkness and gloom (v. 10), sick (v. 17) in a storm at sea (v. 23).  But what was the same for all of them was God’s deliverance.  The psalmist gathered their stories and wrote a psalm for the worshipping community to sing.  Each story has the same four-part format—a description of distress, a prayer to the Lord for help, the details of their deliverance and the same conclusion: “Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.”
 
Tell your story!  It will be both different and similar to these ancient stories of redemption.  Use the four parts in their stories as a guide.  First, remember the details of your trouble.  Perhaps you’ve never gotten lost in a desert, but maybe you’ve been lost in a spiritual desert.  What happened?  Second, what was your prayer to the Lord?  In each of these four stories, the prayer is the same, a cry to the Lord followed by the response: “he delivered them from their distress” (v. 6).  Third, if you were delivered, give the details of God’s deliverance.  It will be different for each person.  Four, conclude with thanksgiving and encourage others to give thanks with you.
 
Take time to think through your story of redemption and then join the redeemed and tell your story.
 
Prayerfully Respond
Lord, in your steadfast love you are always willing to hear our cries for help and to deliver, in your time and in your way.  May I live in thanksgiving today.  Amen.
 
Live obediently.  Tell your story and give thanks.
[1] NIV translation of v. 2.