Ah, A Little Elbow Room

Ps 118:5 I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and ser me in a large place.

A wee bit of a word study would help in getting a lot out of this verse. The word distress is 'metsar' and it means something tight. Literally then, it means being in a tight spot.

Recently my friend was looking at some real financial difficulties. Every time I asked him how it was going, he told me he could feel the noose tightening a little more. He was in a straight, or a very tight spot.

The psalmist tells how he called upon the Lord in this tight spot, the Lord answered and set him in a large place. The words 'large place' come from one Hebrew word, 'merchab', an open space, figuratively, 'at liberty'.

God took this man from a tight spot to a place where he could breathe again, where he had some freedom.

Back to my friend who had two and 1/2 mortgages. He had to sell two homes ASAP or he was sunk. Additionally, he and his wife needed to get into a place. As it turns out, they ended up with three house closings ALL on the same day! They were able to walk away from their tight spot, the noose obliterated, given room to breathe and even a little change in their pockets!

Only God can do things like this! I am calling on the Lord now to take me from a metsar to a merchab.