Nick of time

I read this Psalm today and forgot it was written over 3,000 years ago.  It seems like it was written for our time.  But that's how the Bible is, timeless.

Psalms 107

God's never-ending love is a common thread throughout the Bible.  He never gives up nor does He let go.  Today He still sets people free of addictions and oppression all around the world.

1 Oh, thank God — he's so good!

His love never runs out. 

2 All of you set free by God, tell the world!

Tell how he freed you from oppression, 

3 Then rounded you up from all over the place,

from the four winds, from the seven seas.

To me, this describes a person who wanders aimlessly through life.   They have no real purpose.  The sun comes up and goes down, another day, another dollar.  Such an exhausting life, the clock ticks and there's no joy.  It's like when the Israelites wandered in the desert.  Are we there yet?  In verse 6, God gets there in the nick of time.  Believing in Jesus is as marvelous as God's love.  You never know what to expect or how God will answer prayers.  Each morning you get a little twinkle in your eye knowing who made the sunrise.  People become more than obstacles or things to do.  You begin to understand how they feel.   And then you get to help them.  We have no idea how many people we bless each day, with a simple smile or prayer.  But the thought of actually helping another human being and that God includes us in His divine plan is awesome!

4 Some of you wandered for years in the desert,

looking but not finding a good place to live, 

5 Half-starved and parched with thirst,

staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion. 

6 Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God.

He got you out in the nick of time; 

7 He put your feet on a wonderful road

that took you straight to a good place to live. 

8 So thank God for his marvelous love,

for his miracle mercy to the children he loves. 

9 He poured great draughts of water down parched throats;

the starved and hungry got plenty to eat.

This reminds me of fear.  Fear can be so horrible like a dark cell.  It can prevent people from leaving their homes, trying new things, or meeting new people.  It's allowing someone or something else to literally control our lives.  In verse 13 it says if you call out to God, He will deliver you in the nick of time!  He breaks open jails, shatters jailhouse doors.  In a literal sense Paul experienced this.  He was thrown in jail because of his beliefs.  An angel came and actually wiped out the whole jail!  The guards were a bit alarmed...  Joseph was thrown in jail because of a lie told about him.  Joseph made connections with the Pharoah who hired him to prevent starvation, releasing him from jail.   He helped Egypt store enough grain- for Egypt, Israel and the world in this time period.  Who knows what we can do today if we let Him break down our fears.  Smash our jail cells wide open.

10 Some of you were locked in a dark cell,

cruelly confined behind bars, 

11 Punished for defying God's Word,

for turning your back on the High God's counsel —  

12 A hard sentence, and your hearts so heavy,

and not a soul in sight to help. 

13 Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;

he got you out in the nick of time. 

14 He led you out of your dark, dark cell,

broke open the jail and led you out. 

15 So thank God for his marvelous love,

for his miracle mercy to the children he loves; 

16 He shattered the heavy jailhouse doors,

he snapped the prison bars like matchsticks!

Addictions...  These are so hard for people.  I know an alcoholic who wanted nothing more than to die and taste alcohol.  She stayed in bed as much as she could.  If someone had walked up and said, "Just stop."  She would've rolled back in bed and tried to sleep.  The body builds up a dependency on alcohol and drugs.  It literally craves more, it goes beyond controlling your thoughts.  Even at the cost of life.  Hard for some of us to understand.  It's a nightmare for a person that's trapped.  But when we call out to God, He hears us!  No matter what we've done or how ugly and ashamed we feel.  We're His children and He wants us as His own.   He gets us out in the nick of time, if we really want Him to.

17 Some of you were sick because you'd lived a bad life,

your bodies feeling the effects of your sin; 

18 You couldn't stand the sight of food,

so miserable you thought you'd be better off dead. 

19 Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;

he got you out in the nick of time. 

20 He spoke the word that healed you,

that pulled you back from the brink of death. 

21 So thank God for his marvelous love,

for his miracle mercy to the children he loves; 

22 Offer thanksgiving sacrifices,

tell the world what he's done — sing it out!

43 If you are really wise, you'll think this over — 

it's time you appreciated God's deep love. 

THE MESSAGE