There’s no business like snow business…sorry…couldn’t resist, also title has nothing do with topic today <3

The snow is piling up around our house and we are tucked inside for another day. 

Well, one of us has been heading out to try and keep the drive way clear and I am forever thankful for him. He shoveled a path to our bird feeder for me yesterday, but that has drifted over. In fact, drifting is the name of the game for this winter storm. 

Our front porch looks like a ski slope in miniature. 

It’s beautiful. 

I know it is causing problems for those who have to be out and about and I am so sad for that, but the snow itself is just a marvel to see. 

Speaking of marvels. 

I am working through the fourth week of the Kelly Minter study, Encountering God, and it is a good one. All of her studies have been good.

This one is based on spiritual disciplines.

Having read Richard Foster’s classic, A Celebration of Discipline, multiple times as well as Donald S. Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life at least twice, I am loving her take on these topics. 

Today she used Psalm 107 to help expand understanding on giving thanks. 

If you haven’t visited this Psalm recently, I highly recommend a read-through. 

The breaking up of this Psalm into verses helps us order the thoughts as we see examples of people who were in distress, cried out to God, were rescued and are subsequently urged by the Psalmist to give thanks. 

Here is the interesting part. 

You might be surprised by who got rescued. 

Because they weren’t all in situations where we would typically think God would swoop in to save. 

There are those who are wandering, lost and hopeless.  (4-5)

There are those who are held in prison and darkness because of their rebellion and despise of God’s counsel and wisdom. (10-11)

There are those are in affliction because of foolishness, refusing the nourishment that would give them life. (17-18)

There are those who, though no fault of their own, were caught in a tempestuous sea. Sailors by trade and well-trained to navigate their ships, they were sinking fast because their skills were useless int the storm that raged against them. (23-27)

So it would seem, the thing they all had in common was troubles that forced them to cry out to God. 

Also they shared the experience of God coming to the rescue. 

In the same way.

Whether the troubles they were in were their own fault or things outside of their control.

Saving them, delivering them, bringing them to safety, quieting the storm, ending the distress. 

And so each situation leads to rejoicing, thanksgiving.

Giving thanks to the Lord because…in every situation…His love is faithful…His works are wondrous. 

The psalm ends perfectly with these words 

The upright see it and rejoice, and all injustice shuts its mouth. 

Let whoever is wise pay attention to these things and consider the LORD’s acts of faithful love. 

Psalm 107:42-43

Don’t you love it?

Injustice shutting its mouth. 

If we want to be wise, a good place to start is to consider God’s acts of faithful love on our behalf. Whether we deserved it or not, when we cried out – He came.

He rescued.

He saved.

He delivered.

He provided.

We know something the psalmist had not yet seen.

The greatest of these acts is the death and resurrection of Jesus.

As we consider the deliverance and rescue of that and ponder God’s faithful love extended to all of us who cry for help, our hearts will have no other choice but to respond with rejoicing and thanksgiving <3