20th October 2022

After The Storm is Past

He calms the storm, So that its waves are still.

Psalm 107:29

During Scottish missionary Alexander Duff’s first voyage to India in 1830, he was shipwrecked in a storm off the coast of South Africa. He and his fellow passengers made it to a small, desolate island; and a short time later, one of the crew found a copy of a Bible belonging to Duff washed ashore on the beach. When the book dried, Duff read Psalm 107 to his fellow survivors, and they took courage. Finally, after a rescue and yet another shipwreck, Duff arrived in India.

Psalm 107 lists some of the ways God delivered the Israelites. Duff and his shipmates no doubt identified with and took comfort in the words: “He calmed the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven” (v 29–30). And, like the Israelites, they too “(gave) thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind” (v 31).

We see a parallel to Psalm 107:28–30 in the New Testament (Matthew 8:23–27; Mark 4:35–41). The Lord Jesus and His disciples were in a boat at sea when a violent storm blow up. His disciples cried out in fear, and Jesus—God in flesh—calmed the sea. We, too, can take courage! Our powerful God and Saviour hears and responds to our cries and comforts us in the midst of our storms.

Read

Psalm 107:1–3, 23–32.

Prayer

Thank You, God, for not leaving me to face the storms of life on my own. I need You! In Christ's name. Amen.