A Story Worth Telling

By Jane Josephs

“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—those He redeemed from the hand of the foe…” –Psalm 107:2

My Chicago grandchildren are voracious readers. They check out dozens of books at a time from the library, and they frequently ask for books for their birthdays. Why? Because they know the power of a good story!

The Israelites, according to the psalmist in Psalm 107, had a story to tell, too; a story filled with trouble, despair, sinful people, and a valiant, steadfast hero. In the opening verses we meet our protagonists: the “redeemed of the Lord.” We’re told that they have been gathered from “east and west, from north and south” and led by a straight way to a city where they could settle. They all—because of the goodness of One—have been snatched from the hand of the foe—the devil himself, Satan.

Some were hungry and thirsty when they arrived. Others needed to be rescued from the grave because they were so near death. Some had been living in darkness for decades, prisoners suffering in iron chains because they had rebelled against God’s commands. None of them really deserved to be saved. And yet… “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent out His Word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave.”

It’s a story as old as time and as new as this moment: a conflict, a climax, a resolution. It’s my story, and probably yours, too. Some call it a testimony, a statement of one’s experience with Christ. No matter how its defined, it’s ours, it’s personal, and it’s powerful. We were lost and now we’re found! Go and tell someone your story this week, okay?

Dear Lord, we give thanks to You, for You are good, and Your love endures forever. Please help us be bold to share our story of coming to know You and fill us with songs of joy each day for what You have done in our lives. In Your Name, Amen.