Oh that men would praise the LORDfor his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psalm 107:8 is a call for all people to praise the Lord for His goodness, loving-kindness and wonderful works to humanity, given after lost and hungry travelers cried to Him in trouble and He rescued them and led them by a straight way to a home. That goodness includes filling the deep hunger of the soul and giving good to the empty, which strengthens faith as His care is recognized. Above all it points to redemption through Christ as the greatest deliverance, freeing men from sin through His death and continuing intercession and opening happiness, heaven, adoption as God's children and an eternal inheritance. That redemption is worthy of deepest thought and study, which even angels desire to look into, and those who share in it should praise God with heart, soul and voice in a song the redeemed will sing forever. Such praise belongs in prayer alongside requests, is fitting even amid pain and hardship as a remedy that turns despondency to hope, and should be spoken with thanksgiving rather than murmuring, complaint or unbelief.
Setting and Meaning
In its setting the call to praise follows the story of lost travelers wandering in a dry wasteland with no place to live, whose strength failed through hunger and thirst. They cried out to God in their trouble, were rescued from distress, and were guided by a straight road to a settled dwelling place. The praise is due because He meets the deep hunger of the soul and fills with good those who are empty.
The verse is a call for all people to praise and thank the Lord for His goodness, loving-kindness, mercy and kind love, and for His wonderful works to humanity. Prayer is therefore to include thanks as well as requests, since His mercies and benefits are continually received. Recognizing His care and deeds strengthens faith. Appreciating that goodness, mercy and love is itself part of what the call requires. The same call embraces the great love and compassion shown in redemption, a theme worthy of careful thought and study which angels desire to look into, which those who share in salvation should take up with heart, soul and voice, and which the redeemed will sing forever.
Works That Call for Praise
The beauty of creation calls for this praise, seen in spring flowers and green mountains, and in morning birdsong joined by grateful hearts. God's providence and protection in daily blessings, across land and sea, and in deliverance from dangers on the waters call for praise. That protection was cause for gratitude rather than complaint when lives were spared without injury in a storm even though the camp and its books suffered heavy loss. His mercy and providence in allowing his people to return and rebuild called for gratitude and joyful praise when the temple foundation was laid. The growth of the church in Newcastle, from no Sabbathkeepers a few months earlier to about thirty baptized and ten more preparing for baptism, is an example of his wonderful works among people.
Recovery from severe illness after prayer is an occasion to praise him for his goodness and mercy and to give thanks when the sick are restored. Above all, the verse points to redemption through Christ as the greatest deliverance, greater than the rescue at the Red Sea. Freeing people from sin, shown in Jesus' death and continuing intercession, makes available happiness, heaven, adoption as God's children, the hope of redemption, a heavenly inheritance, and God's promises. That great love and compassion shown in redemption and in the great salvation made possible through Christ is what the call to praise for his goodness and wonderful works applies to most fully.
Redemption is a theme worthy of careful thought and study, which angels desire to look into. Those who share in salvation should praise God with heart, soul, and voice, with grateful hearts. It will be the song of the redeemed forever, sung through eternity.
Living Out Praise
Prayer is to join thanksgiving to asking, because mercies and benefits are continually received and gratitude and praise are owed for what has already been done. The goodness of the Lord toward people and his wonderful works for humanity call for appreciating that goodness, mercy and love, and for rejoicing in God and praising his holy name. That praise rests on his goodness even when pain, hardship and restlessness press, for faith refuses to complain or to give way to unbelief and instead gives thanks for his goodness to people.
Praising him acts as a remedy for soul and body, turning the mind from despondency to hope and cheerfulness in Christ. Gratitude for tokens of his love and grace is to issue in praise and courage rather than in criticizing his ways or turning away from the blessings he holds out. His people are therefore to speak of his love, goodness and works with thanksgiving and praise instead of murmuring, complaining and uttering unbelief, choosing gratitude over complaint even after loss, as when lives were preserved without injury in a storm though the camp and its books suffered heavy loss, making protection of life a cause for thankfulness rather than complaint.
Psalm 107:8 is a call for all people to praise the Lord for His goodness, loving-kindness and wonderful works to humanity, given after lost and hungry travelers cried to Him in trouble and He rescued them and led them by a straight way to a home. That goodness includes filling the deep hunger of the soul and giving good to the empty, which strengthens faith as His care is recognized. Above all it points to redemption through Christ as the greatest deliverance, freeing men from sin through His death and continuing intercession and opening happiness, heaven, adoption as God's children and an eternal inheritance. That redemption is worthy of deepest thought and study, which even angels desire to look into, and those who share in it should praise God with heart, soul and voice in a song the redeemed will sing forever. Such praise belongs in prayer alongside requests, is fitting even amid pain and hardship as a remedy that turns despondency to hope, and should be spoken with thanksgiving rather than murmuring, complaint or unbelief.
Setting and Meaning
In its setting the call to praise follows the story of lost travelers wandering in a dry wasteland with no place to live, whose strength failed through hunger and thirst. They cried out to God in their trouble, were rescued from distress, and were guided by a straight road to a settled dwelling place. The praise is due because He meets the deep hunger of the soul and fills with good those who are empty.
The verse is a call for all people to praise and thank the Lord for His goodness, loving-kindness, mercy and kind love, and for His wonderful works to humanity. Prayer is therefore to include thanks as well as requests, since His mercies and benefits are continually received. Recognizing His care and deeds strengthens faith. Appreciating that goodness, mercy and love is itself part of what the call requires. The same call embraces the great love and compassion shown in redemption, a theme worthy of careful thought and study which angels desire to look into, which those who share in salvation should take up with heart, soul and voice, and which the redeemed will sing forever.
Works That Call for Praise
The beauty of creation calls for this praise, seen in spring flowers and green mountains, and in morning birdsong joined by grateful hearts.
God's providence and protection in daily blessings, across land and sea, and in deliverance from dangers on the waters call for praise.
That protection was cause for gratitude rather than complaint when lives were spared without injury in a storm even though the camp and its books suffered heavy loss.
His mercy and providence in allowing his people to return and rebuild called for gratitude and joyful praise when the temple foundation was laid.
The growth of the church in Newcastle, from no Sabbathkeepers a few months earlier to about thirty baptized and ten more preparing for baptism, is an example of his wonderful works among people.
Recovery from severe illness after prayer is an occasion to praise him for his goodness and mercy and to give thanks when the sick are restored.
Above all, the verse points to redemption through Christ as the greatest deliverance, greater than the rescue at the Red Sea.
Freeing people from sin, shown in Jesus' death and continuing intercession, makes available happiness, heaven, adoption as God's children, the hope of redemption, a heavenly inheritance, and God's promises.
That great love and compassion shown in redemption and in the great salvation made possible through Christ is what the call to praise for his goodness and wonderful works applies to most fully.
Redemption is a theme worthy of careful thought and study, which angels desire to look into.
Those who share in salvation should praise God with heart, soul, and voice, with grateful hearts.
It will be the song of the redeemed forever, sung through eternity.
Living Out Praise
Prayer is to join thanksgiving to asking, because mercies and benefits are continually received and gratitude and praise are owed for what has already been done. The goodness of the Lord toward people and his wonderful works for humanity call for appreciating that goodness, mercy and love, and for rejoicing in God and praising his holy name. That praise rests on his goodness even when pain, hardship and restlessness press, for faith refuses to complain or to give way to unbelief and instead gives thanks for his goodness to people.
Praising him acts as a remedy for soul and body, turning the mind from despondency to hope and cheerfulness in Christ. Gratitude for tokens of his love and grace is to issue in praise and courage rather than in criticizing his ways or turning away from the blessings he holds out. His people are therefore to speak of his love, goodness and works with thanksgiving and praise instead of murmuring, complaining and uttering unbelief, choosing gratitude over complaint even after loss, as when lives were preserved without injury in a storm though the camp and its books suffered heavy loss, making protection of life a cause for thankfulness rather than complaint.