Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters, 24 They see the works of the Lord, And His wonders in the deep. 25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26 They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29 He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. 30 Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven.
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ps 107:23–30.
Our thinking would be in error if we thought because we are Christians we will always have smooth sailing. Although you may hear that from some of TV’s relegious oriented talking heads it simply isn’t true. That is shallow theology.
If you’ve ever been at sea you begin to understand how much we are at the mercy of the elements. Depending on the size of your vessel the waves can seem like rolling mountains that never seem to end. One after another you climb the crest and then ride the wave to bottom of the swell. It can be scary. To think that God has control of all of this can either bring comfort or fear, depending on your relationship with Him. He uses these times to help us.
Would we cry out to the Lord on a calm sea? A disciplined Christian would cry out in gratitude for the refinement that happened in the previous storm. A grateful Christian would thank God for the calm sea and quiet time to spend with Him. A prayerful Christian would pray for those who are currently in a storm that the storm would not be wasted.