Psalms 107:23-43
23 Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters,
24 They see the works of the LORD,
And His wonders in the deep.
25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind,
Which lifts up the waves of the sea.
26 They mount up to the heavens,
They go down again to the depths;
Their soul melts because of trouble.
27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
And are at their wits' end.
28 Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He brings them out of their distresses.
29 He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still.
30 Then they are glad because they are quiet;
So He guides them to their desired haven.
31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people,
And praise Him in the company of the elders.
33 He turns rivers into a wilderness,
And the watersprings into dry ground;
34 A fruitful land into barrenness,
For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
35 He turns a wilderness into pools of water,
And dry land into watersprings.
36 There He makes the hungry dwell,
That they may establish a city for a dwelling place,
37 And sow fields and plant vineyards,
That they may yield a fruitful harvest.
38 He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly;
And He does not let their cattle decrease.
39 When they are diminished and brought low
Through oppression, affliction, and sorrow,
40 He pours contempt on princes,
And causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way;
41 Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction,
And makes their families like a flock.
42 The righteous see it and rejoice,
And all iniquity stops its mouth.
43 Whoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.
In the storms of life the wise are the ones who trust God as they observe His love and mercy in action. The example of seafaring men seeing massive mountainous waves crashing over their ships is a great lesson for us as we go about doing business in life and observe God’s wonders, then acknowledge it is He who raises the waves and sends them crashing down around us all. His breath stirs up the circumstances like ocean waves, and He knows our fear in trouble and listens to hear our despairing prayers. He is the God who hears when we have reached our wits end and delivers us from our troubles. He speaks to calm the storm (Matthew 8:26) and still the wind and waves battering us throughout life. This gladness brings us to our haven at last, just as He now comforts and leads us until we die and arrive at our eternal haven with Him forever. The cry of the psalmist should move us as he pleads that we all would express our thanksgiving for His goodness and wonderful works He does for us! We should publicly praise Him and tell of all these great things He has done for His people and ourselves personally. This testimony of praise is meant to be among brethren as well as in the world in which we live and move and have our being. It should reflect the goodness of His provision for our thirst and hunger (Matthew 5:6), for our shelter (Matthew 6:25-26) and in our work. He brings our fruit to ripeness with His blessing, even as we face adversity and sorrow. God is the just Judge, and He will execute justice on our oppressors. He raises the poor and needy out of the dust to sit with Him (Psalm 113:7) and prospers the family of God’s people as a flock of His own sheep whom He has chosen and calls to Himself. These things give us joy, when sin is silenced and we understand the work of our good God in mercy and grace with such love for us. We therefore choose to praise Him in the storms of life with hope, just as the fishermen in Gloucester Massachusetts, whose statue uses these verses as a reminder who controls the wind and waves as they go to sea to make a living. We observe and understand with wisdom.
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