“LORD, help!”

“‘LORD, help!’ they cried in their trouble and He rescued them from their distress.”
Psalm 107:6, 13, 19, 28 (NLT)

Have you ever cried for help? Who hasn’t? Psalm 107 describes four different types of people in distress and how God rescued them. What impresses me the most is that it didn’t matter whether the distress was caused by others or their own fault! That’s good news! God even responds to my cry for help when the trouble I’m in is the result of my own bad decisions.

The first group of people in distress in this Psalm were homeless wanderers. 
“Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless. Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died. ‘LORD, help!’ they cried in their trouble, and He rescued them from their distress.” (Vs. 4-6)
God led them “straight to safety, to a city where they could live,” the Psalmist said. (Vs. 7)

The next group in distress were those in prison. They were described as those who had “rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High.” (Vs. 11) That will get you in trouble! The Psalmist said, “They fell, and no one was there to help them. ‘LORD, help!’ they cried in their trouble and He rescued them from their distress.” (Vs. 12b-13)  

When they cried out to God, He “broke down their prison gates of bronze; He cut apart their bars of iron.” (Vs. 16)

Another group were in distress because of their own poor decisions. The Psalmist said,

“Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins … and they were knocking on death’s door. ‘LORD, help!’ they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.” (Vs. 17-19)

When they cried out the Bible says God “sent His Word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.” (Vs. 20)

The final group in distress were on the sea in ships. Through no fault of their own, a storm of epic proportion began to toss them “to the heavens and plunge them again to the depths; the sailors cringed in terror! They were at their wits’ end.” (Vs. 26-27) 

“‘LORD, help!’ they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.” (Vs. 28)

The Psalmist said, “He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. What a blessing was the stillness as He brought them safely into harbor!” (Vs. 29-30)

Are you in distress? Whatever the reason, call for help! God is ready to answer your heart's cry. He cares! He alone can meet the deepest need in your life. When each of these people cried out in distress to God, He heard their cry and rescued them! In every case, their response was the same.

“Let them praise the LORD for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them.” (Vs. 8, 15, 21 & 31)   

Give Him praise when He rescues you. The best way to do that is by sharing it with others. How has He rescued you in times of distress?