Crying out to God

Psalm 107:27b-28 They were at their wits’ end.  Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.

This psalm recounts numerous scenarios in which people found themselves in trouble, distress, or turmoil (mostly of their own making) yet when they cried out to the Lord, He came to their aid in one way or another.  In each situation, God met them, and they were challenged to give thanks to God.  It is all summed up in the verses at the beginning of the psalm: “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story…” and then at the conclusion of the psalm as well: “…let the one who is wise … ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.”  And what is it He has done?  He led them to peace and security (v.7), He gave them freedom (v.14), He healed them (v.20), He gave them peace and guidance (v.30).  As I look back over my life, I can see ways in which God has done this for me, even though at times I had wandered away from diligently following Him.  I have found peace and security even when I faced potential kidnapping in war-torn Beirut.  God gave me freedom to choose a library career after my time overseas.  He healed me when I was suffering from a penicillin reaction just days before my wedding.  He gave me peace and guidance as I sought to follow His direction for my life when considering big steps such as marriage, my promotion to Library Director, and my involvement in leadership in the Association of Christian Librarians.  I have had great blessing in seeing God lead my and meet my needs at every step.