Focus: Why Not Praise God? (Pt.2)

Text: Ps.107:15

"O that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"

Yesterday we looked at the first group - the clueless travelers - how they wandered in the desert until God brought them to their own city of habitation.

We are now focusing on the second group - the helpless prisoners. They are totally confined and rendered useless. The psalmist says, "Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron" (Ps.107:10). The psalmist goes on to say that "they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces."

The question to ask is: Why is man in trouble everywhere? For this group, we read, "Because they rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High, Therefore He brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help." Here's the problem: they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High God. 

From Adam to us, this has always been the cause of our problems - rebellion against God and disregard for his wisdom.

We always act like we know better than God. Our chains are as result of our rebellion against God. What we call freedom is nothing but a demonic bondage. The way that seems right to us very often leads to our destruction. We find ourselves getting what we want, but never wanting what we get. Our suffering is often self-inflicted. By our own making we have become helpless prisoners, and as another had said, "Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains."

Repentance is the way out of our chains. The psalmist tells us, "Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces." 

The moment we cry out to God and humbly return to Him, God forgives and saves us from our troubles. He breaks our chains and sets us free.

Till date God is still in the business of breaking our yokes and bringing us out of our individual and societal prisons. God always finds ways to heal and help us, even putting songs of deliverance in our mouth. No wonder that the psalmist exclaims, "Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze, And cut the bars of iron in two." 

Our God works wonders. He cares for us and attends to our needs. He takes us from sighing to singing. He delivers us from pain and makes us praise His name.

And so, I ask you again: Why not praise God? Is God not worthy of your praise? Remember that only the living can praise God. God is good to you, and He is keeping you alive and safe, fighting your battles and getting you out of tight corner situations. Let's praise Him!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter