Psalm 107:23-43

“Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.” (Psalm 107:28–29, ESV)

The psalmist continues by considering sailors at sea. The storms come, and their ship is tossed about. The surging waves bring them up to the heavens and then down to the depths. Their soul melts with terror, and they are at their wits’ end. But when they cry to the LORD, He intervenes and saves them.

We think of when the disciples were with Jesus on the Sea of Galilee, and the storm was so great that they thought they would die. Meanwhile, Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat. So they woke Him up, and He rebuked the wind and commanded the waves to be still (Mark 4:39).

How many times do we face great storms of one sort or another? Our tiny ship is tossed about by forces beyond our understanding or control. What do we do? Do we panic? Do we get frustrated? Or do we cry out to the Lord? Sometimes it seems like He is asleep, and He doesn’t care if we perish. But that isn’t true. Christ is sitting at the right hand of God; He never sleeps; nothing escapes His attention, and all authority has been given to Him. He knows our situation, and He cares deeply for us. But faith is not tested when the seas are calm and smooth as glass; faith is tested when it seems like we won’t survive unless God miraculously intervenes. And that is just the kind of faith the Lord wants to develop in each of us.

Don’t be surprised if you are going through stormy trials or painful afflictions. Don’t be alarmed by the fiery darts of doubt, dissension, or discouragement. We have been appointed to suffer these things. But learn a lesson from the sailors: cry out to the One who rebukes the wind and calms the seas. He won’t let you drown in the deep. He will carry you to the other side, even if it means getting a little seasick along the way!

“Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.” (Psalm 107:31, NLT)

Amen.