Psalm 107 is a song of praise for having been rescued from great troubles. It is a beautiful psalm to be read by those who know that they have been saved by God from some great trouble. Within it there are four archetypal, divine, rescue events that are followed by prayers of thanksgiving. This verse follows the last of the four accounts of rescue. It draws on the image of an angry sea that is calmed by God. These four rescue accounts are consistent with Israel’s history, for whenever the people were endangered, God came to their rescue. And so it is with us still today. The psalm calls us to ponder those times in our lives when we were rescued from troubles that were beyond our own powers to solve and to give God our joyful praise.

All of us encounter times of great stress in our live. Some of us have faced real dangers, real threats to our well being, even our lives. When we were in those situations, or experiences, we may have felt alone, or we have felt real fear and a sense of helplessness. And somehow we came through it all and were stronger as a result. Those who believe in God and his fidelity toward us, can face these challenges with more grace, more courage, and more confidence.

Our challenges and our fears are very real. In truth, many of them are the result of our own errors, but many also come to us from outside. In either case, those who believe look to God for His mercy and His help. With faith in God we can face these challenges knowing that we are loved, knowing that God’s mercies and God’s help are generous and given freely. We can see this in today’s verse, God stills the sea and, “Then they were glad, because they were quiet; So he guided them to their desired haven.” This is not just a story, or a metaphor, it is the reality. If we put our trust in God we know that He has the power to still our fears, and to lead us to our ”desired haven.”

As Christians, it is always our desire to go home to heaven. As human beings, we also know that, because we are sinners, we sometimes get lost and wander off in our own misguided directions, or we find ourselves on the angry seas of life’s great challenges. In those times we call on God for help. Have you been in such a situation, have you faced such a challenge and been rescued by God? If so, this psalm shows us how to praise him with joyous thanksgiving,

Lord, we know that you love us and are forever faithful to us. Help us to see your actions in our lives. Deepen our faith in your fidelity and help us to humbly accept our need for you. Open our hearts, and our eyes, and lead us home to you. We praise you and give you thanks for your great mercy and love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!

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