Those Who Cried Out in the Wilderness and the Storm

“Praise GOD, who is good—whose steadfast love is eternal!” Thus let GOD’s redeemed say,those redeemed from adversity, who have been gathered in from the lands,from east and west,from the north and from the sea. Some lost their way in the wilderness,in the wasteland;they found no settled place. Hungry and thirsty,their spirit failed. In their adversity they cried to GOD,and they were rescued from their troubles. They were shown a direct wayto reach a settled place. Let them give praise for GOD’s steadfast loveand wondrous deeds for humankind— for satisfying the thirsty,and filling the hungry with all good things. Some lived in deepest darkness,bound in cruel irons, because they defied the word of God,spurned the counsel of the Most High. Their hearts were humbled through suffering;they stumbled with no one to help. In their adversity they cried to GOD,and were rescued from their troubles. They were brought out of deepest darkness,their bonds broken asunder. Let them give praise for GOD’s steadfast loveand wondrous deeds for humankind— shattering gates of bronze,breaking their iron bars. There were fools who suffered for their sinful way,and for their iniquities. All food was loathsome to them;they reached the gates of death. In their adversity they cried to GOD and they were saved from their troubles. [God] gave an order and healed them—delivering them from the pits. Let them give praise for GOD’s steadfast loveand wondrous deeds for humankind. Let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices,and tell those deeds in joyful song. Others go down to the sea in ships,ply their trade in the mighty waters; they have seen GOD’s worksand such wonders in the deep. God’s word raised a storm windthat made the waves surge. Mounting up to the heaven,plunging down to the depths,disgorging in their misery, they reeled and staggered like a drunk,all their skill to no avail. In their adversity they cried to GOD,and were saved from their troubles. The storm was reduced to a whisper;the waves were stilled. They rejoiced when all was quiet,and were brought to the port they desired. Let them give praise for GOD’s steadfast love,and wondrous deeds for humankind. Let them exalt in the congregation of the people,acclaim in the assembly of the elders. The rivers are turned into a wilderness,springs of water into thirsty land, fruitful land into a salt marsh,because of the wickedness of its inhabitants. The wilderness is turned into pools,parched land into springs of water. There the hungry are settled;they build a place to settle in. They sow fields and plant vineyardsthat yield a fruitful harvest. They are blessed and they increase greatly—their cattle do not decrease, after they had been few and crushedby oppression, misery, and sorrow. [God] pours contempt on noblesand makes them lose their way in trackless deserts; but the needy are secured from suffering,their families increased like flocks. The upright see it and rejoice;the mouth of all wrongdoers is stopped. One who is wise will take note of these thingsand consider GOD’s steadfast love.

Psalm 107 is a litany of redeemed pilgrims: wanderers in the wasteland, prisoners in chains, fools on the brink of death, and sailors riding the collapsing deep. Four times the refrain returns — 'In their adversity they cried to GOD, and were rescued from their troubles' — and four times the response is the same: praise for God's hesed, His covenant love. The psalm frames faith not as a feeling of certainty but as the decisive act of crying out to the One who has proven Himself trustworthy across generations.