YEAR 3, WEEK 3, Day 7, Sunday, 18 January 2026

https://esv.literalword.com/?q=Psalm+107;+Nehemiah+11

Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Sunday, 18 January 2026:

Psalm 107:1, 2, 8 – Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!

Psalm 107 is a powerful testimony of God’s Love and Majesty. This psalm is a celebration of God’s grace by the redeemed, those who were lost, wo saw no real meaning or hope in life and were empty inside (vs 4-9); those who were trapped and suffering because of their sinful lives (v 10-22); and those who were over their heads in life and saw no escape from disaster and ruin (v 23-32). If you have been saved by Jesus, you can certainly appreciate this psalm; and if you have been saved by Jesus then say so! Proclaim your salvation to as many as you can! Be like the psalmist and praise His Name today and every day.

Psalm 107 opens not with human resolve but with divine character. God’s goodness and steadfast love are the foundation of everything that follows. Redemption is attributed entirely to the LORD’s action: “He has redeemed them.” The people are gathered not because they found their way home, but because God brought them back. This establishes the controlling truth of the psalm — grace precedes response. Thanksgiving flows from rescue, not the other way around. The New Testament echoes this same order: salvation originates in God’s initiative, not human effort.

Psalm 107:4-9 — Some wandered… hungry and thirsty… then they cried….

The first portrait is of people lost, depleted, and unable to save themselves. Their turning point is not competence but desperation: “Then they cried to the LORD.” God does not wait for improvement; He responds to need. He leads them by a straight way and satisfies what they could not supply. This anticipates Christ’s invitation to the weary and burdened, promising rest rather than reproach. Grace meets people at the end of themselves.

Psalm 107:6 — Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.

This phrase is repeated four times in this psalm, repeated for emphasis to get your attention. If you will cry out to the LORD, from a genuinely repentant and submissive heart, He will deliver you from your distress. If you have yet to be delivered, perhaps you have not truly repented or cried out – “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” (James 4:3-4) “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:24)

Psalm 107:9 – For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

Only Jesus can satisfy the longing of your soul. If you feel empty in any area of your life, turn to God to be filled.

Psalm 107:10-16 — Some sat in darkness… prisoners in affliction….

Here the condition is bondage — self-inflicted rebellion resulting in real captivity. Yet again, the pivot is mercy: “Then they cried… and He brought them out.” God breaks bars of iron and shatters chains. Liberation is not earned through discipline but granted through compassion. This foreshadows the Gospel’s proclamation of freedom for captives, where Christ enters darkness to release those enslaved by sin and fear.

Psalm 107:17–22 — Some were fools through their sinful ways….

This section removes all excuses. Suffering here is explicitly tied to foolishness and sin. Still, God heals rather than discards. He sends His word and restores life. Grace does not deny responsibility, but it refuses to abandon the repentant. The cross reveals the fullest expression of this truth: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Forgiveness flows from God’s mercy, not our wisdom.

Psalm 107:23–32 — Some went down to the sea in ships….

These are not rebels or fools, but workers, people doing their jobs who encounter overwhelming forces beyond their control. Obedience does not exempt them from storms. Yet God remains sovereign over chaos itself, calming what terrifies. Faith is not proven by storm-avoidance, but by who we cry out to when the storm comes. Jesus later stands in this very authority, rebuking wind and waves, revealing Himself as the LORD whom the psalm praises.

Psalm 107:33-43 — He turns rivers into deserts… and deserts into pools….

The psalm concludes by lifting the reader above individual stories into divine governance. God humbles the proud and lifts the needy. Circumstances reverse not randomly, but righteously. The wise are those who observe this pattern and respond with trust. History, nature, and redemption all testify to the same truth: God rules in steadfast love. Security comes not from understanding outcomes, but from knowing the One who governs them.

Psalm 107:43 – Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

Be wise and meditated deeply upon this Psalm today, and learn to be eternally grateful to the Lord, continually joyful, and content with what God has given you.

Nehemiah 11:1, 2 – And the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem the holy city, while nine out of ten remained in the other towns. And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem.

After covenant renewal, reality sets in. Jerusalem is rebuilt, but underpopulated, vulnerable, and demanding. Someone must live there. Leadership goes first, but most residents are chosen by lot. One in ten are called to relocate, and those who volunteer are publicly honored. Obedience here is costly and unseen. Faithfulness now requires proximity to risk, not distance from it. The New Testament carries this same logic: following Christ often means choosing presence over preference, service over security.

The Biblical method for selecting equally interested or concerned parties for a requirement or an opportunity was to cast lots in order to ensure a fair, unbiased decisions and to avoid potential strife.

God’s work requires people who are willing to make life-changing sacrifices. Those who are willing deserve special support from those who are not willing.

Many gave up their homestead to serve God elsewhere. Are you willing to leave your comfort zones in order to be faithful to God and to serve others?

Nehemiah 11:3-24 — These are the chiefs… the priests… the Levites….

The long lists return, but the emphasis has shifted. This is no longer genealogy alone, it is placement. God assigns people where they are needed, not where life is easiest. Worship leaders, gatekeepers, servants, and laborers all take their posts. The city functions because everyone embraces their role. The church is described the same way in the New Testament: many members, one body, each assigned for the good of the whole. Flourishing depends on participation, not spectatorship.

God’s people approach God’s work in a well-planned and very organized fashion, each person having clearly understood responsibilities. What role do you play in your church, and how well are you performing it? Is your motivation love, or duty?

Nehemiah 11:22-23 – The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, of the sons of Asaph, the singers, over the work of the house of God. For there was a command from the king concerning them, and a fixed provision for the singers, as every day required….

Singing was a responsibility assigned to specific people — it was as important and as well managed as other responsibilities. Singers played such a critical role in church and society that they were under the king’s orders. Also, music with instruments has always been an important part of worship. God doesn’t dictate type or style of music, just that it be honoring, an offering of the best available for His glory and for the edification of genuine worshippers.

Nehemiah 11:25-36 — Some lived in the towns… each in his possession….

Not everyone lives inside the walls, but everyone lives on mission. The distribution ensures sustainability for the whole community. Faithfulness does not look identical for all, but it is required of all. God’s design includes variety of calling without hierarchy of value. What matters is obedience where God places you.

Psalm 107 declares why God rescues: because He is good and His steadfast love endures forever. Nehemiah 11 shows what grace produces: people willing to reorder their lives in response. Grace rescues wanderers, frees captives, heals fools, calms storms and then calls the redeemed to live differently. Grace finds its fulfillment in Christ. Jesus rescues not only from circumstances, but from sin and death. He gathers the redeemed, then sends them. Salvation is by grace alone, but grace never leaves life unchanged. Abiding in Christ produces willingness — willingness to serve, to go, to stay, to risk, and to remain faithful where God assigns.

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) — 18 January 2026: Identify where God’s grace has clearly rescued you, and then examine whether your current life reflects gratitude or inertia. Ask yourself: Where might obedience require inconvenience, relocation of priorities, or unseen faithfulness? Choose one concrete response today: accept a responsibility you’ve avoided, serve where need is greatest rather than where it’s comfortable, or thank God explicitly for a deliverance that now calls for faithful living.

Pray: “Father, thank You that my life rests not on who I am or what I have done, but on who You are and what You have done in Your steadfast love. You found me when I was lost, freed me when I was bound, healed me when I was foolish, and sustained me when I was overwhelmed. Forgive me when I enjoy Your rescue but resist Your call. Teach me to live as one who has been redeemed — grateful, available, and faithful where You place me. Help me trust You enough to obey when obedience costs comfort. Keep my heart anchored in Christ, my true refuge, and shape my life as a response to Your grace. In Jesus’ name, amen.”