Finding Hope in a Broken World
Finding Hope in a Broken World
Today’s Reaching Psalm 106-110
Psalm 107:19-20, Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them out of their distress. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.”
The one thing we can all agree on in our present world, regardless of our political affiliation, is that we are living in a broken world. There is something deeply wrong in our culture. We are facing a social collapse as different factions vie to gain supremacy, believing that their party will provide the answers and that they can restore our world. If we only had the right leader, the right government, the right solution, all our problems would be solved. However, the issues we face in our world run much deeper than those that can be resolved through political means. Until we come to realize that the problem lies with us rather than others, solutions will only be temporary.
In Psalm 107, the Psalmist also confronted a society that was broken. Everywhere he turned, he found more problems rather than lasting solutions. Like someone groping in the darkness, the people were unable to see any way out. The reason is that they failed to understand the actual problem. The issue was not political or cultural; it was spiritual. They had “rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the most High” (107:11). When a nation rejects God and turns its back on Him, there are consequences. No matter where we look, there is no satisfaction or joy. Even food itself becomes detestable (vs 18). In a similar message in Psalm 106, the Psalmist laments that the people “forgot God their savior.” This is the problem of our world today and our nation. We have forgotten God and pursued the false gods of human reason and morality. Like the idolaters of ancient days, we also sacrifice our sons and daughters (Psalm 106:35-38). We do so, not on the altar of a pagan deity, but on the altar of self and the pursuit of pleasure. We sacrifice our children on the altar of inconvenience and irresponsibility. We want the pleasure of sexual freedom, without the responsibility of children. So we turn to man for solutions, but, as the Psalmist points out in 18:12, man’s promise of deliverance is empty.
However, all is not hopeless; there is an answer that brings hope. The answer comes from God. The healing and restoration of the land does not come through electing the right politician, but through returning to God and living in obedience to His Word. What provides us with answers for life is the words of Scripture, for it delivers us from destruction (vs 20). The Bible is more than just a history book or a book of moral teachings; it is the source of life itself. If we reject God’s word, then life will continue to be confusing and troubling. However, in His word, we find clarity and understanding. In the Bible, we find the promise that God will respond to those who cry out to Him. No matter how great our sin in the past or present, God is willing to forgive and restore our relationship with Him. When we turn to Him, He brings restoration. Politicians, scientists, sociologists, or psychologists are unable to solve the problems that afflict our nation. There is only one solution, and that is God Himself. When your life seems confusing and hopeless, and when our country seems to be broken, the only answer is to seek God and obey His commands.
Today’s Reaching Psalm 106-110
Psalm 107:19-20, Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them out of their distress. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.”
The one thing we can all agree on in our present world, regardless of our political affiliation, is that we are living in a broken world. There is something deeply wrong in our culture. We are facing a social collapse as different factions vie to gain supremacy, believing that their party will provide the answers and that they can restore our world. If we only had the right leader, the right government, the right solution, all our problems would be solved. However, the issues we face in our world run much deeper than those that can be resolved through political means. Until we come to realize that the problem lies with us rather than others, solutions will only be temporary.
In Psalm 107, the Psalmist also confronted a society that was broken. Everywhere he turned, he found more problems rather than lasting solutions. Like someone groping in the darkness, the people were unable to see any way out. The reason is that they failed to understand the actual problem. The issue was not political or cultural; it was spiritual. They had “rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the most High” (107:11). When a nation rejects God and turns its back on Him, there are consequences. No matter where we look, there is no satisfaction or joy. Even food itself becomes detestable (vs 18). In a similar message in Psalm 106, the Psalmist laments that the people “forgot God their savior.” This is the problem of our world today and our nation. We have forgotten God and pursued the false gods of human reason and morality. Like the idolaters of ancient days, we also sacrifice our sons and daughters (Psalm 106:35-38). We do so, not on the altar of a pagan deity, but on the altar of self and the pursuit of pleasure. We sacrifice our children on the altar of inconvenience and irresponsibility. We want the pleasure of sexual freedom, without the responsibility of children. So we turn to man for solutions, but, as the Psalmist points out in 18:12, man’s promise of deliverance is empty.
However, all is not hopeless; there is an answer that brings hope. The answer comes from God. The healing and restoration of the land does not come through electing the right politician, but through returning to God and living in obedience to His Word. What provides us with answers for life is the words of Scripture, for it delivers us from destruction (vs 20). The Bible is more than just a history book or a book of moral teachings; it is the source of life itself. If we reject God’s word, then life will continue to be confusing and troubling. However, in His word, we find clarity and understanding. In the Bible, we find the promise that God will respond to those who cry out to Him. No matter how great our sin in the past or present, God is willing to forgive and restore our relationship with Him. When we turn to Him, He brings restoration. Politicians, scientists, sociologists, or psychologists are unable to solve the problems that afflict our nation. There is only one solution, and that is God Himself. When your life seems confusing and hopeless, and when our country seems to be broken, the only answer is to seek God and obey His commands.
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