The Lᴏʀᴅ God of Israel deserves praise, in the future and forevermore. Let all the people say, “We agree! Praise the Lᴏʀᴅ!”
Into the Text
Psalm 106 is a beautiful example of praise and trust in God. The psalmist includes a long, detailed record of God’s dealings with Israel. He remembers the way God saved His people in the wilderness. He recalls the ways God satisfied their hunger and delivered them from their enemies. When the people sinned, they faced the consequences of their sin and experienced God’s wrath. But God never left them.
There are times when our pain is a result of our sin. There are times when our pain is caused by the sin of someone else. And there are times when pain is a result of our broken world.
Repentance is a crucial aspect of lament. When we repent, we remember our own helplessness as well as the power of God to save us. Without Him, we would be lost in utter darkness, swallowed up by our sin, and expecting nothing but death. Yet, if we are in Christ, we have incredible hope! Repentance leads us to offer praise because we remember the goodness, faithfulness, power, and mercy of our great God.
Our God is good. He alone is what we hope for. He alone gives us everything we need. While we look to Him for forgiveness and redemption, our hope is in Christ’s finished work on the cross. Our lament includes repentance, trust, and praise: acknowledging our sin, trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice, and praising God for the eternal life we have in Christ. He alone is worthy of praise. As we remember His mighty works and His faithful character, may our lives continually praise Him.
Prayer
God, you are the one, true, mighty God. You have shown yourself merciful and gracious all throughout Scripture and through my life. I thank you that you are my true source of hope. Amen.