Day 50 : Psalm 107:23-32
Read Psalm 107:23-32
Helpful Background Information:
First, reread Mark 4:39
Second, read Psalm 107:23-32
Psalm 107 is a psalm of praise and thanksgiving, using four visual metaphors to describe God’s rescuing power. These include: (1) Being rescued from wilderness, (2) Being rescued from prison, (3) Being rescued from affliction, and (4) being rescued from a storm. All of these visual metaphors point to the same reality: God is mighty to save!
In verse 23, The psalmist now turns to the sea. This particular crisis speaks not so much of human guilt but human littleness. The psalmist describes the scene. Merchants go down to the ships to do business on the great bodies of water (v. 23). As they engage in business, they observe the wonders of God’s creation in the seas. Next, the psalmist describes the power of the Lord over the seas. He says that the LORD has the power to cause the storm (107:25-27). The psalmist paints the picture of the sailors’ terrifying experience (v. 26). As a result, they become unstable and hopeless (v. 27). But then we read of the grace of God in hearing their desperate prayer, and he calms the storm (v. 28-29). Sailors cried. God delivered.
Reflection Questions:
Compare Psalm 107:23-32 with the episode of Jesus and the disciples in the boat in Mark 3:45-31.
How do the disciples compare to the sailors crying out to God in Psalm 107?
Mark shows Jesus to have power over the storms and creation - so powerful that all he has to do is command! In the Old Testament, only God is shown to have this power. What does this say about who Jesus is?
The sailors in this passage experience a sense of helplessness, realizing their smallness in the face of the storm. In what areas of your life have you recognized your limits? How does acknowledging your "littleness" deepen your reliance on God’s greatness and power?
In Psalm 107, the storm represents a situation of helplessness and danger. Think about the "storms" you face in your own life—difficult circumstances, challenges, or struggles. How do you respond in the midst of these storms? Do you seek God's intervention as the sailors and disciples did?