From J. C. Philpot's Daily Portions
November 17 "They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they
found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of
their distresses." Psalm 107:4-6 Until they wandered in the wilderness--until they felt it
to be a solitary way, until they found no city to dwell in, until hungry and
thirsty their soul fainted in them--there was no cry. There might have been
prayer, a desire, a feeble wish, and now and then a sigh or a groan. But
this was not enough. Something more was needed to draw forth loving-kindness
out of the bosom of the compassionate Head of the Church. A cry was
needed--a cry of distress, a cry of soul trouble, a cry forced out of their
hearts by heavy burdens. And a cry implies necessity, urgent need, a
perishing without an answer to the cry. It is the breath of a soul bent upon
having eternal realities brought into the conscience, or perishing without
them. It is this solemn feeling in the heart that there is no other refuge
but God. The Lord brings all his people here--to have no other
refuge but himself. Friends, counselors, acquaintance--these may sympathize,
but they cannot afford relief. There is no refuge, nor shelter, nor harbor,
nor home into which they can fly, except the Lord. Thus troubles force us to
deal with God in a personal manner. They chase away that half-hearted
religion of which we have so much; and they drive out that notional
experience and dry profession that we are so often satisfied with. They
chase them away as a strong north wind chases away the mists; and they bring
a man to this solemn spot that he must have communications from God to
support him under, and bring him out of his trouble; and if a man is not
brought to this point by his troubles, they have done him no good. But what
a mercy it is when there is a cry! and when the Lord sends a cry in the
trouble, he is sure in his own time and way to send deliverance out of it