ODJ: After the Storm

October 14, 2018 

READ: Psalm 107:22-32 

What a blessing was that stillness (v.30).

My family and I exhaled as our little boat glided to a halt. Since the start of our amusement park ride, we’d ‘sailed’ through dark caverns, where trolls and saucer-eyed monsters jeered at us. We’d hit rough water and felt waves slosh into the boat as we flew over a waterfall! Finally, we’d drifted into the calm water where we could disembark.

A group of ancient sailors had a similar experience, but without the assurance of a happy ending. The psalmist described what happened when they faced a storm at sea. “Their ships were tossed to the heavens and plunged again to the depths” (Psalm 107:26). The terrified sailors grew desperate.

Amid the chaos, they called out to God, and He tamed the thrashing, howling storm—to a whisper. “What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbour!” (v.30). In the calm, the sailors were able to pause and think clearly. They could see where they were headed and look forward to replenishing their supplies.

Something else happened in the stillness. They praised God for His great love and the wonderful things He’d done for them (v.31).

Sometimes life seems as overwhelming as trouble at sea. Trauma tilts our world, and before we can stand up, we’re blown over by yet another problem.

But God is there in the midst of the instability—and He’s also there in the moment when the clouds part and the sun breaks through. It’s often then, in the stillness after the storm, that our faith becomes sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). As we reflect on how God’s promises carried us through difficulty, we rejoice as we see how He lovingly met our needs.

May we remain faithful to God as we enjoy the blessing of His faithfulness to us. —Jennifer Schuldt

365-day plan: Acts 5:17-42