Read: Psalm 107:23-32
He made the storm be still. (v. 29)
The sailors in today’s passage are at their wits’ end (v. 27). Life was going according to plan, even smooth sailing. Then, out of the blue, a storm tossed their boat to and fro, and the sailors were knocked to their knees. We are so similar, going about our business, even nobly advancing godly causes, but when a crisis comes, we are left helplessly wondering what comes next.
Today is Thanksgiving in the United States. It’s a day when many of us will look back on the blessings of this past year, but that feels a little harder this year. At times I have felt at my wit’s end. Crisis after crisis (after crisis) all feel like a gut punch. We didn’t see it coming. We stagger like sailors tossed by waves or fret like frightened disciples in the boat with Jesus. What comes next?
Every storm is an opportunity to trust. No storm happens by chance. God is not surprised by the storm because it is he who “raised the stormy wind” (v. 25). We may not understand why but we do know who to cry out to. The wind and waves still obey his voice and are hushed at his command (v. 29). The disciples learned this in the boat on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus “rebuked the winds and the sea” (Matt. 8:26). It is still true today. Challenges remain, but with Jesus in the boat, no storm will ever undo us. —Jon Opgenorth
As you pray, ask God to still your storms.
About the Author
Rev. Jon Opgenorth serves as president of Words of Hope. Previously, he served for 18 years as senior pastor at Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City, Iowa. In preparation for ministry, he received a BA in Religion from Northwestern College, and an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary.
