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
I live in Oregon. In the upper northwestern corner of Oregon is a town called Astoria where the Columbia River Maritime Museum is located. In the museum is a life sized display of a Coast Guard cutter poised on a fiberglass wave. The ship is pretty much pointing straight up. Our service personnel in the Coast Guard know what that feels like.
This image captures something of what it must mean to "mount up to heaven." And I won't even attempt to describe what it means to go "down to the depths!" There is nothing as frightening as the sea during a storm!
When the seas take the deck out from under you, you are lucky if all you do is reel and stagger. Sometimes it's worse. The psalmist knows the experience of being at wit's end in distress&mash;but also knows the promise of quiet in the steadfast love of the Lord.
Prayer
Lord of sea and sky, maybe today you can just breeze through my life. I pray for those who are in danger's way this hour. We are often glad for just a little quiet. In Jesus' Name. Amen.