Thursday, July 23, 2020

A blessing from Psalm 107


Gorgeous graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings
This month I've been working through the Rest for the Weary Bible reading challenge from Rachel Wojo.  Yesterday's Scripture passage was Psalm 107:28-32.  I've studied Psalm 107 before (not to say there isn't much, much more to learn from it!), and even wrote a post about it here: Blessed encouragement from the Psalms,  but these verses seemed to speak to me in a whole new way given our current circumstances.

"Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses.

He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

Then are they glad because they are quiet; so He bringeth them into their desired haven.

Oh, that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders."

(Psalm 107:28-32)

I love these verses!  They are so meaningful right now,  as a storm of illness, death,  fear, misinformation and divisiveness swirls around us.  I am certainly crying out to God as He is the only one who can still this (or any) storm.  I especially love the thought that God is going to eventually bring us into our "desired haven"!  In fact, if we know Jesus as Savior, we are in that "haven of rest" even now.

Verse 29-30 speak to me especially right now, and I found some wonderful cross-references:

"Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, Thou stillest them."
(Psalm 89:9)

"The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.  The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea."
(Psalm 93:3-4)

These verses led me naturally to thinking about the account in Matthew 8 of Jesus stilling the storm:

"And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?  Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea: and there was a great calm.  But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!"
(Matthew 8:26-27)

Truly, Jesus is with us in the storm and He is able to still any storm that we face!  Even the winds and waves of adversity obey Him!

 Another of the cross-references was:

"[God] stilleth the noise of the seas, the voice of their waves, and the tumult of the people."
(Psalm 65:7)

Wow!  Did you catch that?  God is able to still the noise of the seas, the voice of the waves, and even "the tumult of the people"!  There is so much tumult out there.  We know that God  is allowing this difficulty for some good purpose of His own and will bring all of this to an end in His perfect timing.  I'm praying for Him to still the storm today.  May He calm each of our hearts as well.

8 comments:

  1. I love this so much. We are in such turmoil in our land right now. Praying for our country and for our friends who are suffering for so many reasons. This is a breath of fresh air today. Thank you.

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    1. I am so glad it was a blessing to you, Pamela. A great reminder for me as well.

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  2. Thank you so much for this-I needed so badly today!

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    1. I happened to come back and reread this today. (I was looking for something else.) Only a few days before the election ... I think we all need this badly right now.

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  3. Love that verse and that God will calm the noise of wind, waves, and people. Perfect! I know that I need some calming that's for sure. Counting on Him!

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    1. Yes! I just came back to reread this. A great reminder for me today.

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  4. Amen. Thank you.

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  5. You are welcome.

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