The author is unknow, but the message is clear: “Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.” Many times we struggle with problems in this life that cause us to forget to praise God. In verses 1 and 2, the author reminds us to praise the Lord because His faithful love for us endures forever. He also tells us to tell others if God has redeemed us. Throughout this psalm, he gives several examples of how God provides for His redeemed children and humans in general through His providential care. It appears this may have been written sometime after the Assyrian or Babylonian captivity based on verse 3.
In verses 3-9, he wrote of people lost and homeless wandering in a wilderness without bread or water. They cried out to the Lord and He rescued them. “Let them praise the Lord for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them.” Have we ever felt like we were in a wilderness and didn’t know where to turn?
In verses 10-16, he wrote about people who rebelled against the words of God. Because of their rebellion they were in prison. This could refer to a physical prison, a mental/emotional prison, a drug or alcohol prison. Do we remember the story of King Saul who received a troubling spirit because of his rebellion against the Lord in his later years. But unlike Saul, these people turned to the Lord for help and He delivered them. “Let them praise the Lord for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them.”
In verses 17-22, he wrote about people whom he described as fools; he said, “they rebelled and suffered for their sins”. Their conscience bothered them so much they didn’t want to eat or drink until they cried out to the lord. “He sent out His word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.” Then again, he encourages them to praise the Lord.
In verses 23-32, he wrote about people who were just trying to make a living. They ran into problems while just living their lives, but when they cried out to the Lord, He gave them safety in their journey. Again, they are challenged to praise the Lord.
In verses 33-42, the writer showed how God supports His people in life even by creating changes in the environment to either bless or punish them depending on their faithfulness to Him. Yes, changes in climate are controlled by God. It is the duty of God’s people to take care of what God has given us. Part of our problem with the environment is that we have not developed some of the technology needed to ensure our safe use of the natural resources God has given us for our benefit.
Verse 46 ends this psalm beautifully. “Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.” And as the writer stated, shouldn’t we praise God daily for the way He has supplied our needs?