Their Desired Haven

Psalm 107: 23-32 has often been referred to as the Seafarer's Psalm. It speaks of stormy seas being calmed by the Lord out of His love for the seafarers until they have been brought safely to their desired haven. But there is a deeper meaning here than even that.

In verse 23-24 we read,

"Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters, They see the works of the Lord, And His wonders in the deep."

As we each go about our daily lives, we should all be able to see "the works of the Lord and His wonders" wherever God has placed us. When we see the beauty of the land, the animals, the birth of a child, the soft kiss of our children, the moon and stars at night, in all of this and so, so much more we should recognize the wonders created for us out of His love.

In verse 25-26 we read,

"For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble."

God commands the seas as He commands our lives. There are moments when we are lifted up, full of joy, our hope seems to be unlimited but then something changes, something terrible happens and we go down, down and feel like we are drowning and alone. We are troubled to the point that we are so afraid our very hearts and minds seem to melt. It seems as if all hope is lost.

To whom do we turn when things go so badly? To our friends, to drink, or drugs or to God? The anguish can be so deep that in verse 27 it says,

"They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end."

Has it ever been so bad that you have come to the end of what you can figure out on your own? Haven't you had the experience of not knowing which way to turn, like "reeling to and fro"? Many of us have. Many of us have reached a point where we gave up. We just didn't know what to do to make things different, to make things feel safe again.

But when we seek God, He is near. In verse 28-29 the Psalmist says,

"Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, So that its waves are still."

In our fear and turmoil God rescues us. Why? Because we "cry out to the Lord". We realize finally that only God can save us. He calms our storms and stills our waves and our fear washes away.

And then in verse 30,

"Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven."

It is our Lord and Savior, the quieter of our storms, who will then guide us to our "desired haven". A haven is someplace where you can feel safe, your loved ones would be there, your heart's joy would be there. For Christians, that haven is called Heaven. When death comes for us, we can feel calm and serene, safe from the danger and turmoil of this life, as we go to our safe haven to be with the Lord.

Finally in verse 31-32 the Psalmist sings,

"Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the elders."

If we would only remember our Lord's faithful promises to us, we would give thanks. We would thank Him for His goodness towards us and for His magnificent works that He has given us. We would give thanks not just in private, but in public, in the "assembly of the people". We would exalt and praise Him in the "company of the elders", those who are wise and in positions of authority. We would not hide our thanks and praise, but it would be on display for all to see.

At the very end of this Psalm in verse 43 we are told,

"Whoever is wise will observe these things, And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord."

If we see and understand these things it will be evidence of our wisdom. The wise "understand the lovingkindness" of their Lord and Savior.

Dear Father,

Help us to be wise. Guide us to know and realize the depth of your lovingkindness towards us. Father, please send your Holy Spirit to calm our storms. Finally Father, help us to find our safe haven with you in Heaven.

In your Son's name,

Amen

Enjoy One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails) sung by David Wesley

Our Quiet Haven