Rescued at Sea – Psalm 107

A text – Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32

107:1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, those he redeemed from trouble
107:3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
107:23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the mighty waters;
107:24 they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep.
107:25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.
107:26 They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their calamity;
107:27 they reeled and staggered like drunkards, and were at their wits’ end.
107:28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress;
107:29 he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
107:30 Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
107:31 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.
107:32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

A reflection:

For the third time this week we see the power of the Lord over the chaos of nature in a storm at sea. God can bring a storm, but storms also arise by themselves. As we know from the emerging science of climate change, storms arise from multiple factors like moisture in the air, high and low pressure, wind and heat, all immense forces that combine to create extreme weather. These storms wreak havoc on both the land itself and the humans who live there.

Storms at sea have always followed predictable patterns, based in part on the seasons of the year that create the conditions of heat and moisture, cooling and condensation. I spent quite a lot of time in the seventies on the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, and even when the weather was fair, windstorms could arise. The thing to do, if you were on a ship, was listen to the crew. Whatever they said would be valuable. Once on an overnight crossing to Crete they told us, ”Eat soda crackers and don’t drink much water.” We were the only passengers not throwing up an hour later. Humans can learn how to weather a storm. But they still pray to the Lord who rules over the chaos to hush the waves. 

A psalm of praise for rescue from the sea is a beautiful thing to read. It could also be used to thank God for deliverance from other perils of life, such as near disasters in work or relationships. God loves us and does not want us to perish, and chaos happens everywhere even without God willing it to happen. Let us turn to God in the midst of our storms and look for good guidance and advice. Let us find our corner of safety and eat the soda crackers. Thank God for the wild world around us, and that God is the ruler of it.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for the wild world that you created, that you have dominion over. Thank you for creating us in the midst of it. Protect us from its extremities, and help us find wisdom to survive and try to make things better. Walk with us through chaos, and turn our faces toward you always. Amen.