Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
Verse 2Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble
Verse 3and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
Verse 23Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the mighty waters;
Verse 24they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep.
Verse 25For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.
Verse 26They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their calamity;
Verse 27they reeled and staggered like drunkards, and were at their wits' end.
Verse 28Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress;
Verse 29he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Verse 30Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
Verse 31Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.
Verse 32Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
Devotion
For the ancient Hebrew people, the sea was the primary symbol of chaos and destruction. Our language is not so much different. We "weather the storms" of our lives, sometimes "just barely keeping our heads above water." When we are disconnected from others, we often say we are "adrift."
In Genesis 1, God's power over chaos is shown through the separation of the waters to create space for life. In Job 38, God's authority over the sea is shown poetically as God midwifes the sea from the womb and sets limits on what it can do and where it can go. Life is full of storms, to be sure, but we do not face them alone. For, like the sailors tossed about on the sea, we too have a God to cry out to when the waves of anxieties and grief seek to sink us. God hears our cries and brings peace.
Prayer
God of peace, Calm the storms that trouble me and bring me to safe haven. Amen.