LEARNING DAILY

 

Psalm 107:29, He calms the storm, so that the waves are still.

 

We have always liked the sound of the rain hitting the roof; we enjoy the sound of the thunder that often comes along with that rain. There just seems to be something soothing about it. But, sometimes the storms are not so fun as they become dangerous and destructive.

 

Psalm 107 begins this way, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has delivered from the hand of the enemy.” I urge you to read the entire Psalm because it encourages us to be thankful and to praise the Lord for delivering each of us from desperate and dangerous situations – the storms we face in life. The psalm is a very good reminder of what the Lord lovingly does for His children. Go ahead and take the time to read it consider what He has done for you.

 

Today’s focus is just on how He helps us when the storm(s) come. You have no doubt heard people say, “When it rains, it seems to pour!”. It refers to those times when difficulties come, they seem to come in multiple occurrences in a given amount of time. You know what I am talking about don’t you? How do you respond then? If I am not careful, I allow those times to be times of discouragement and defeat. Honestly, that is not the right response. No, this is the time to have an honest time with the Lord, to cry out to Him, and allow Him to encourage and build our faith.

 

The Psalmist is writing about those times of unexpected and possible severe times that occur in our life. I saw a bumper sticker once that said “Life Happens” and I thought it was right on. I took it to mean that there are things that occur that are beyond our control – storms. These storms seem to be right where God is doing His work. These storms sometimes come because the devil does not want God’s work to be successful. So, he tries to disrupt, confuse, and deceive, and destroy the Lord’s worker and their works. There are other times the storms are brought on by the person’s own life; bad decisions or attempting to do things for the Lord on their own. There are other times when storms come that God uses for His glory and for eternal good that you and I might not understand until we get to heaven. Romans 8:28 is a great verse, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

 

God causes the storm to be calm. The waves are still. As you and I face storms that come, we do not need to face them alone! Only God can calm the storms we see in the oceans; only God can calm the pain we face in the storms of life. You and I should follow the instructions of the psalmist when he writes in verse 31, Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”  When we do so, you and I acknowledge that only He has a solution to our situation. Give Him His due worship and praise today!