“Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.”
Psalm 107:13
I cried out to God wholeheartedly while at my lowest point. I had returned to a holding cell, having been told by my attorney that I could be facing a minimum 25-year sentence under California’s new sentencing laws. I recall the utter hopelessness I felt. As I lay on a bench with my arm over my face, I quietly began to cry. And I prayed. It was simple but honest; I told God I couldn’t do this anymore and needed His help. He would answer that prayer, both on that day, and especially several weeks later when I was truly saved and became a Christ follower.
In Psalm 107, the psalmist states five times that as people “cried out to the Lord in their trouble, he saved them from their distress.” It speaks of various ways people experience calamity and suffering, and that every time they genuinely cry out to the Lord, He saves them. That’s who He is, and it’s what He does. The result is that the people praise Him!
My life was saved so that I can be a living act of gratitude to the God who saves sinners. And this is His design for you, too!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian A. White
Brian White is a Presbyterian minister at a church in downtown San Diego, California. There he oversees spiritual formation and helps with discipleship, community building, and biblical counseling. He spent the first half of his life struggling with drug addiction, incarceration, and homelessness. Brian first heard the gospel while in a men’s detention facility as a young man. He and his wife Janey have two daughters and a son. They love being out in nature, hiking the Sierra Nevadas, and spending time with family. When his schedule permits, Brian relishes fly fishing, sport fishing in the Pacific Ocean, and any Sherlock Holmes novel.
In Psalm 107, the psalmist states five times that as people “cried out to the Lord in their trouble, he saved them from their distress.” It speaks of various ways people experience calamity and suffering, and that every time they genuinely cry out to the Lord, He saves them. That’s who He is, and it’s what He does. The result is that the people praise Him!
My life was saved so that I can be a living act of gratitude to the God who saves sinners. And this is His design for you, too!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian A. White
Brian White is a Presbyterian minister at a church in downtown San Diego, California. There he oversees spiritual formation and helps with discipleship, community building, and biblical counseling. He spent the first half of his life struggling with drug addiction, incarceration, and homelessness. Brian first heard the gospel while in a men’s detention facility as a young man. He and his wife Janey have two daughters and a son. They love being out in nature, hiking the Sierra Nevadas, and spending time with family. When his schedule permits, Brian relishes fly fishing, sport fishing in the Pacific Ocean, and any Sherlock Holmes novel.
Scripture Focus
Psalm 107:10-15
Insight
Is life overwhelming you, causing you to lose hope? Cry out in prayer to the Lord. He will answer you in your anxiety and distress.
Bible In A Year
- Exodus 13-14
- Psalm 32
- Mark 12