They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. (Ps. 107:30)
Expanded Passage: Psalm 107:23-32
I work with college students, and I would never want to be one again. The highs are so high: they fall in love, they get accepted to grad school or get a new job, they find some new direction for their lives. Sometimes I envy that energy! But the lows are so low—romantic breakups, classroom failures, and personal social drama make life so complicated. I would never want to go back to that; I am thankful for the stability that middle age affords.
This psalm talks about raging storms like my students experience. Verse 26 talks about how the sailors mount up to the heavens and plunge to the depths. But God smooths this out in verse 29: “He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.” The constant up and down finally slows down, the peaks and valleys are leveled, and a peaceful life is the result. In those peaceful moments, we can finally breathe, remember who we are, and be gathered to ourselves and to God again.
As you review your life, you no doubt can see turbulent storms and times of peace. If you are in a time of peace, give thanks; and if you are in a storm, remember that God has been faithful before, and will be faithful again.
Take heart in the midst of whatever storm you face today.
J. Michael Jordan is associate professor of theology at Houghton University, and the author of Worship in an Age of Anxiety (IVP, 2024).
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
