In Psalms 107, we read about the omnipotent God and His goodness and that wherever man is, there is always redemption for man! No situation is so hopeless that the Lord can’t redeem man. People may be in a situation where there is no hope and no way out and everything around them is dark. But although people don’t see a way out, God always sees a way out and God still redeems. And the sons of God (both males and females), who are born of God, have faith in God and faith in Jesus Christ; te Word, and see the same way out as their Father. They don’t speak and act according to what their senses tell them, but they walk after the Spirit and speak and act according to what the Word says and keep standing on the Word. Because nothing is impossible for our God and Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! It’s all about, do you believe that?
The redeemed of the Lord praise the Lord for His goodness
O give thanks unto the Lord, he pai hoki ia: he mau tonu hoki tana mahi tohu. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; A kohikohia ana ratou i nga whenua, mai i te rawhiti, mai i te hauauru, mai i te raki, mai i te tonga (Waiata 107:1-3)
It is the Lord God, Who redeems man. There is no one else than God alone. The redeemed of the Lord will praise the Lord and testify that God is good, for His mercy endures forever.
In the Old Covenant, God had redeemed His people Israel from the power of pharaoh and from slavery. But the people, who were carnal, constantly deviated from God and chose to do the will of the flesh, instead of staying obedient to the commandments of God, which were written in the law. And so the people became apostate and because of their walk and behavior, they fell into the hands of their enemies and became oppressed.
It happened many times, that God had to redeem His people from the power of their (natural) adversaries and restore (heal) His people and the land.
Every time God’s people were oppressed and called out unto the Lord in their trouble and repented and returned to the words of God, the Lord heard the cry of His people and the Lord showed His goodness and His mercy andthe Lorddelivered His people through His word and power.
And although we live in the New Covenant, which is sealed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the Lord still redeems through His Word.
God redeemed in the Old Covenant and God still redeems in the New Covenant by His Son Jesus Christ, the Living Word, Who was sent by Him to the earth to redeem man from the power of the devil, the adversary of God, and reconcile man back to God (Panuitia hoki: ‘The peace, Jesus restored between fallen man and God').
There is redemption for every person, who lives under the authority of the devil and death. Every person can be delivered from sin and death, by faith in Jesus Christ and regeneration in Him (Panuitia hoki: ‘He aha te tikanga o te kotinga i roto i a Ihu Karaiti?‘ a ‘What does it mean to be born again?').
Every life is precious to God, it doesn’t matter whether you are a Jew or a Greek. God wants everyone to come to the knowledge of the truth and by faith in the truth be redeemed and be saved until the end.
Ko era, who are redeemed by the Lord shall always remember the Lord and what He has done and shall praise the Lord for His great love and His goodness.
The Lord redeems the wanders in the wilderness in a solitary way
I haere mokemoke ratou i te koraha; they found no city to dwell in.Hiakai me te matewai, hemo noa to ratou wairua i roto ia ratou. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, a whakaorangia ana ratou e ia io ratou mate. A arahina ana ratou e ia ra te ara tika, kia haere ai ratou ki te pa hei nohoanga. Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, mo ana mahi whakamiharo ki nga tama a te tangata! E whakamakonatia ana hoki e ia te wairua hiahia, a whakakiia ana e ia te wairua hiakai ki te pai. (Waiata 107:4-9)
There are many people, who wander in the wilderness and live in a solitary way and whose soul is hungry and thirsty but can’t find what they need.
They have no peace and rest in their lives, but they are troubled and live in distress (wehi). They are constantly looking and searching, but they can’t find what they need.
But God is a God, Who doesn’t hide, but lets Himself be found. And those, who seek the Lord with their whole heart, ka kitea ia (Aue. Heremaia 29:13).
Ko era, who cry unto the Lord in their trouble will be saved by the Lord from their distress and He will lead them forth in the right way that will lead to eternal life.
Ko era, who are redeemed by the Lord from their trouble and distress shall praise the Lord for goodness and His wonderful works to mankind.
Because only God can satisfy the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness.
The Lord redeems the prisoners, who live in darkness and in the shadow of death
Ko te hunga i noho i te pouri, i te atarangi o te mate, he mea here ki te mamae me te rino; No te mea i tutu ratou ki nga kupu a te Atua, i whakahawea ki te whakaaro o te Runga Rawa: Koia i pehia iho ai e ia o ratou ngakau ki te mahi; hinga ana ratou, a kahore he awhina. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, a whakaorangia ana ratou e ia io ratou mate. Whakaputaina mai ana ratou e ia i te pouri, i te atarangi o te mate, a motumotuhia ana o ratou here. Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, mo ana mahi whakamiharo ki nga tama a te tangata! Kua tukitukia hoki e ia nga tatau parahi, a tapahia nga tutaki rino, motu rawa (Waiata 107:10-16)
There are many people, who live in darkness and in the shadow of death and are bound in affliction and bars of iron, because they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the most High and put their trust in man and the wisdom and knowledge of the world.
They can’t go anywhere, but are bound in chains and affliction and don’t see a way out. There is no help, everything around them is dark. But even in the darkness and in trouble and distress, God finds man and will redeem man.
Because when they call upon the Lord, the Lord will hear them and find them and redeem them through Jesus Christ and save them out of their distress. The Lord will bring them out of the darkness and the shadow of death and break their bands in sunder, so that they will be free and live in the light.
The Lord redeems the fools, who are afflicted because of their transgression and iniquities
Ko nga kuware mo a ratou mahi tutu, a mo o ratou kino, are afflicted.Ka weriweri to ratou wairua ki nga kai katoa; a ka whakatata ratou ki nga kuwaha o te mate. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, a whakaorangia ana ratou e ia io ratou mate. He sent his word, a whakaorangia ana ratou, a whakaorangia ake ratou io ratou ngaromanga. Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, mo ana mahi whakamiharo ki nga tama a te tangata! Kia tukua ano e ratou te patunga tapu, ara te whakawhetai, whakapuakina ana mahi i runga i te hari (Waiata 107:17-22)
He tangata, who are fools and have no fear of God and have rejected God and because of their foolish behavior and sinful walk and iniquities are afflicted and tormented by the adversary of God, te rewera, and draw near to the gates of death.
But God will also save the fools from their distress by His Word, if they call upon the Lord and repent (Panuitia hoki: What does it mean God sent His Word and healed them?’)
The Lord redeems the sea merchants, who are in danger of being destroyed by the storm
Ko te hunga e haere ana ki raro ki te moana i runga kaipuke, e mahi pakihi ana i nga wai nunui; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He commandeth, ka maranga te hau tupuhi, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, ka heke ano ki raro ki te rire: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, ka hurorirori ano he tangata e haurangi ana, kei to ratou mohio’ end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so He bringeth them unto their desired haven. Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, mo ana mahi whakamiharo ki nga tama a te tangata! Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders (Himene 107:23-32)
The Lord redeems man everywhere, even on the great waters. Ko era, who go down to the sea in ships and do business in great waters are familiar with the greatness of God that is revealed in nature, are not hidden from God.
If He commands and raises the stormy wind and they are overwhelmed by the storm and can’t do anything with all their wisdom and knowledge and reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wit’s end and by the power of the waves brought down in the depths and their soul is melted because of trouble, even then the Lord knows where to find them.
When they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, the Lord will calm the storm and bring them out of their distress and bring them unto their desired haven.
The hand of the Lord is not too short to redeem man
Just like these sea merchants, there are people, who are always busy with their work and daily activities, until something happens that turns their lives upside down. Everything went well, until the tide turned and everything changed.
They are caught up in a storm, where the ability, wisdom, and knowledge of people can’t help and save them. They are powerless and real to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits’ end and go down into the deep.
But even in that distress, when the soul of a person is drowning in the sea of misery, there is hope. Because God’s hand is not too short to redeem man, not even at the lowest part of someone’s life.
When they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and distress, the Lord will hear their cry and redeem them from their fears.
He shall calm the storm and lead them unto their desired haven, where they shall be save.
And so the Lord redeems the wanderers from the wilderness, the prisoners from the shadow of death, the fools from their afflictions, and the sea merchants from the storm.
Jesus Christ redeems man
Ko ia hei mea i nga awa hei koraha, me nga puna wai ki te oneone maroke; He whenua whai hua ki te titohea, mo te kino o te hunga e noho ana i reira. Ko ia hei mea i te koraha hei harotoroto wai, me te whenua maroke hei puna wai. And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, kia whakapaia e ratou he pa hei nohoanga; A ruia nga mara, me whakato mara waina, e hua ake ai nga hua. Ko ia ano hei manaaki i a ratou, kia tino nui haere ai ratou; kahore hoki e tukua kia iti haere a ratou kararehe. ano, kua iti, kua iti i te tukino, mamaetanga, me te pouri. E ringihia ana e ia te whakahawea ki runga ki nga rangatira, a meinga ana ratou kia kopikopiko i te koraha, te wahi kahore he huarahi. Otira kei te whakateitei ia i te rawakore ki runga i te mamae, and maketh him families like a flock. The righteous shall see it, kia koa hoki: ko nga he katoa ka kopia tona mangai. Ko wai te tangata whakaaro nui, a ka mau ki enei mea, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord (Himene 107:33-43)
No matter where you are and what hopeless situation you are in, nothing is too hard for the Lord, and nothing can stop the Lord to redeem you through Jesus Christ.
When you call upon Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, and you turn to Him, Jesus shall hear you and redeem you and lead you on the path of life that leads to eternal life. Not because you deserve it, but because of the goodness of God
I pray, that everyone, who reads this, will find Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, and repent and be reconciled with God the Father, and love Jesus with all his heart, wairua, hinengaro, me te kaha.
As the Lord says in His Word, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me? (Heremaia 32:27)
'Kia tote mo te whenua’
