After having brought them out of Egypt, the people of Israel were no longer under the physical captivity of Pharaoh. God had acted with power, signs, and wonders, breaking the chains of slavery and leading them toward freedom. However, although they were free externally, many of the people still carried bondage in their hearts. Instead of walking in gratitude and obedience, they rebelled against the laws of God. Because of this rebellion, discipline and punishment came upon them. Freedom without obedience quickly turns into confusion and suffering.
God had rescued Israel with a mighty hand, but He also called them to live according to His covenant. Obedience was not meant to be a burden, but a protection. The commandments of God were given to guide them toward life, peace, and blessing. Yet the people repeatedly chose their own way. They doubted God’s promises, complained against His provision, and rejected His appointed leadership. As a result, they experienced the painful consequences of their choices.
The verse we will consider in this article speaks of the anguish the people experienced when they were lost in the desert because of their disobedience. They wandered for years in a dry and hostile land, unable to find the path to what God had promised them. This wandering was not accidental. It was the result of a hardened heart that refused to trust and obey the Lord.
The desert represents more than a physical location. It symbolizes spiritual confusion, dryness, and distance from God’s promises. When people turn away from God’s direction, they often find themselves wandering spiritually—without peace, without clarity, and without purpose. This was the condition of Israel. Though God had promised them a land flowing with milk and honey, their disobedience delayed the fulfillment of that promise.
Yet even in the midst of discipline, God’s mercy shines. Behold, God decided to have mercy on His people and show them the way again. He did not abandon them completely. Instead, He responded to their cries and acted to free them from the anguish they suffered day after day. This reveals a fundamental truth about God’s character: He is patient, compassionate, and merciful, even when His people fail.
It is good and necessary to recognize that God is truly God, and that without Him we can do nothing. Human strength, wisdom, and pride cannot lead us to life. The experience of Israel in the desert stands as a powerful lesson. When they finally humbled themselves and cried out to the Lord, He responded with grace.
Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
Psalm 107:6
This verse captures the heart of Psalm 107. Over and over again in this psalm, we see a repeated pattern: people stray, they suffer, they cry out to the Lord, and He delivers them. This cycle reveals both the weakness of humanity and the faithfulness of God. When trouble overwhelms us, God invites us to call upon Him. He does not ignore sincere cries that come from a humbled heart.
The deliverance described in this verse is not merely physical. It includes spiritual restoration, renewed direction, and peace of heart. God does not only remove affliction; He also teaches His people through it. The wilderness becomes a classroom where dependence on God is learned and pride is broken.
This passage teaches us an essential spiritual truth: when we do not obey the Lord and His statutes, we lose our way. Just as Israel wandered for years, the sinful man wanders through life without true direction. Disobedience separates us from God’s guidance, leaving us vulnerable to confusion and despair.
Sin always promises freedom, but it produces bondage. It convinces the heart that independence from God will bring satisfaction, yet it results in emptiness. The longer a person persists in disobedience, the deeper the wandering becomes. This is why Scripture continually calls God’s people back to obedience—not to restrict them, but to rescue them.
The people of Israel went through this painful process because of their hard hearts. They resisted God’s authority, rejected His commands, and refused to listen to the leader He had appointed—Moses—to guide them toward a land of peace, abundance, and rest. Their stubbornness prolonged their suffering and delayed their blessing.
A hardened heart is dangerous because it dulls spiritual perception. When the heart becomes hard, correction is rejected, truth is ignored, and pride takes control. Israel’s example warns us of the consequences of refusing to listen to God’s voice. God had provided everything they needed: guidance, protection, food, and promise. Yet unbelief and rebellion prevented them from entering into rest.
Man must obey the Lord and leave his pride behind. Pride is one of the greatest obstacles to obedience. It convinces us that we know better than God, that we can manage life on our own terms. Scripture consistently teaches that pride leads to destruction, while humility leads to grace.
God speaks clearly and has left us a mandate to be obedient. Obedience is not optional for those who desire to walk with God. It is the response of faith and trust. When we obey, we acknowledge that God’s ways are higher than ours and that His wisdom surpasses human understanding.
The good news revealed in Psalm 107 is that obedience can be restored. Even after wandering, even after rebellion, God remains willing to forgive and guide those who turn back to Him. When we attend to His call, when we humble ourselves and cry out to Him, He takes us out of affliction and sets our feet on the right path.
This message applies to every believer today. There are many who have been freed from spiritual Egypt but are still wandering in the wilderness of disobedience. God calls His people to leave behind rebellion, to trust His leadership, and to walk in His ways. The path of obedience leads to peace, clarity, and blessing.
Let us therefore learn from the experience of Israel. Let us not harden our hearts or delay obedience. When God speaks, let us listen. When He corrects, let us respond with humility. And when we find ourselves in trouble, let us cry out to the Lord, knowing that He is faithful to deliver.
God remains the same today as He was then: merciful, patient, and powerful to save. He leads the lost back to the right way, frees the afflicted from distress, and restores those who trust in Him. Blessed are those who obey the Lord, for they will walk in freedom and enjoy the peace that only He can give.