Psalm 107:23-32 (Part Four) - Victims of Disaster Praise the Lord

Continuing with a series of people who cried out to God during a crisis, from Psalm 107...

v.23 Some went off to sea in ships, plying the trade routes of the world. 

v.24 They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action, his impressive works on the deepest seas. 

v.25 He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves. 

v.26 Their ships were tossed to the heavens and plunged again to the depths; the sailors cringed in terror. 

v.27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits’ end. 

v.28 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 

v.29 He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. 

v.30 What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor! 

v.31 Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. 

v.32 Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation. 

(New Living Translation)

There are Bible characters that survived storms at sea, like Jonah. In the New Testament, it was the twelve disciples and the apostle Paul as well. In this psalm it is trade merchants. {Their job put them in an "at risk" category!} They are seasoned sailors, yet they "cringe in terror" because the sea storm is so bad.

No matter where you live, there is always the potential for some kind of natural disaster. You may not live near a volcano, but you may be in a flood plain. If you don't live in a hurricane zone, you may be at risk for tornadoes. Earthquakes. Tsunamis. Avalanches. And if such things never disturb your calm, there are other physical threats like famine... or epidemics.

That doesn't start to list possible, figurative storms in life: economics and politics on a larger scale, or personal trauma. Any one of these things can bring us to our wit's end.

Seasoned sailors "cringe in terror" when a storm is bad enough. Sometimes, all our training and experience simply aren't enough to handle an overwhelming storm. We know we should call on God at all times, but in the middle of a crisis, God still accepts our cry: "Lord, help!" and he calms the storm.

"Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them." Amen.