Salvation Comes from God

 

Scripture

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22

¹   O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
          for his steadfast love endures for ever.
²   Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
          those he redeemed from trouble
³   and gathered in from the lands,
          from the east and from the west,
          from the north and from the south.

¹⁷  Some were sick through their sinful ways,
          and because of their iniquities endured affliction;
¹⁸  they loathed any kind of food,
          and they drew near to the gates of death.
¹⁹  Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
          and he saved them from their distress;
²⁰  he sent out his word and healed them,
          and delivered them from destruction.
²¹  Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
          for his wonderful works to humankind.
²²  And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices,
          and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.  (NRSV)

Devotion

 Have you ever thanked someone for rescuing you from a sticky situation you got yourself into?  I know I have.  There's the time I locked my keys in my trunk right before a big meeting.  There's the time that I was moving to a different state and forgot to my credit card back from a gas station attendant along the way.   There's even the time that some friends, family members, and a lawyer helped me settle an ugly property dispute.  In each of those cases, I was embarrassed by the decisions that had gotten me into trouble, pained the consequences of my actions, and incredibly grateful for the people who saved me before things got worse.

 Today's reading from Psalm 107 thanks God for saving the people from the worst consequences of their own mistakes, but for them the stakes were much higher.  God hadn't just saved people from missing a meeting or a few financial woes; God had pulled them back from the brink of death an damnation.  You see, the people's sinfulness had caused them to stray from God's ways.  The further they strayed, the worse their situation became.  It was only when they were on the brink of physical and spiritual death that they admitted the error of their ways and cried out to God for help.  Loving and faithful parent that God is, God swooped in to rescue and heal them.  Similarly, God rescues and heals us during the times when we admit that we've been sinful and cry out for help.

It's important to notice that God didn't shield people from experiencing any form of pain or distress.  If the people are to learn to truly follow God, then they need to understand that their sinful actions have consequences. Just as children need to learn that parents give them rules to keep them safe and help the grow into their potential, we all need to learn that God's instructions and prohibitions exist for a reason. When we stray from God's ways, we will eventually be hurt...not because God wants us to experience pain but because it is what naturally results from the harmful decisions we made.

What the Almighty promises is that when we admit that we have done wrong and turn back to God for help, the painful consequences of our misdeeds will not ultimately destroy us.  Even if we are on the brink of destruction, God will give us new life.  Even when we are so deeply wounded that we feel like we're about to die, God will heal our bruised and battered spirits.  And when we are starving for the tiniest morsel of goodness, God's word will fill our lives with abundance.

As we continue to move through the Lent, I invite you to take one of two actions:

 

Option 1:  Cry Out for Help

I want you to reflect upon the a way in which you have turned away from God's teachings.  What have been the natural consequences of that sin?  How are those consequences harming you or others?  When you feel ready to do so, use the following prayer to cry out to God for help so that you may be saved and healed: 

Merciful God, I admit that I turned from your teachings and fallen into sin's deadly embrace.  I want to know your goodness again.  Save me, Jesus, from the worst of my mistakes.  Gather me back to you and fill me with your word so that I may rejoice in your  steadfast love.

Option 2: Sing a Song of Thanksgiving

I want you to reflect upon a time when God heard you cry out for help and saved you.  What sins or mistakes led you to the place where you found yourself?  How did God's healing mercy show up in your life, and who did God send to help you along the way?  How does God's being there in that moment continue to affect your life today?  When you are ready, thank God by offering up the following prayer:

Faithful God, thank you for coming to me during my time of distress.  When I was at the end of my rope, you gathered me to you and saved me from the worst of my sinfulness.  Thank you especially for your life-giving Word and for the people who helped me along the way.  May I be an instrument in your plans to save others.  And may I forever sing of your goodness.  Amen.

 

Song