“Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High. So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help.” Ps.107:10-12 ESV. Reading this verse, I wonder: when they fell down, with none to help, did they really have no one to help?
As a mother of adult children, it is such a temptation to jump in to rescue my children when I see them drifting from or even defying the principles of their Biblical upbringing. Did they forget what they learned? Or how much of what they were ‘taught’ did they actually learn? This is where I can get into so many unfruitful, ungodly, and even confrontational situations. These not only damage our relationships but may also interfere with what God is wanting to do in their lives.
Psalm 107 describes consequences to the children of Israel from their drifting or outright rebellion. God allowed his children to wander in wastelands finding no place to live, being homeless, hungry, and thirsty before they cried out to the Lord. Some were prisoners of afflictions, persistent pain, and severe suffering, or in irons, behind bars or confined with cuffs before they cried out to the Lord. Some practiced sinful actions that affected their digestion nearly to the point of death before they cried out to God. Some got so caught up in their work that they were out of balance and at their wit’s end before they cried out to the Lord. Times may be different, but situations are ever present.
If you see yourself or your children in this, cry out to the Lord. See the Lord’s goodness to those who have cried out before and be confident that He will hear you. A warning to our children may be fine, but the Lord is the only one who can truly rescue. “They cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.” Ps.107:13ESV