Riding The Calm Storm

“He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.” (Ps 107:29-30 AV)

The context is trouble at sea.  The writer describes seamen in certain peril.  The writer describes in detail the experience of being thrown about by a storm at sea.  He then praises the LORD for intervening on behalf of the troubled ship, returning them to their haven of rest.  One might read the second half of verse thirty as conditions upon which the sailor might be returned to his safe haven.  That is, if the sailor is quiet, then the LORD will bring them to their desired haven.  If the sailor will simply quiet his fears, then the LORD would bring them safely to their desired haven amid a storm.  Thinking that all the way through, that might suggest the LORD will not rescue unless we fully and completely alleviate our fears and anxieties.  Then what would be the point of escaping the storm?  If there is no fear or concern over it, why would we need to be rescued?  No, the little word ‘so’ is not conditions placed on the rescue.  Rather, it is the nature of the rescue.  God calms the storm and stills the waves so the sailor is glad.  He can then enter their desired haven in a condition of peace and joy.  Not as a condition of it.

Decades ago, my father-in-law decided he needed to test the moxie of his new Son-in-law.  So, he and a friend of his took me on a fishing derby.  Called the ESLO derby for Empire State Lake Ontario fishing derby, it is a contest held every spring.  Prizes are awarded for the largest of each class of trout and salmon.  At the time, my dear father-in-law owned a little sixteen footer.  It was a nice boat.  But not a boat one would take out on the lake in the conditions we faced that day.  There was a small craft advisory.  What that means is no one in their right mind would take a boat our size out in the water.  The forecast was eight to twelve-foot waves.  But out we went.  It was by far the most frightening thing I have ever experienced.  And, I have experienced armed robbery, piloting a small aircraft for the first time, and a whole host of lesser evils.  Those two hours in that small craft in twelve-foot waves is something I will never forget.  As we went below the crest of a wave, all we saw was water.  Water above our heads.  As we rose, we saw those boats out there that were too close for comfort.  Dear old daddy-in-law finally got some sense knocked into him and decided it probably was not a good idea to ignore the small craft advisory.  So, in we headed.  The thing is, one cannot take a boat in and dock it in the midst of conditions like this.  The storm has to be calmed before one can enter the port.  Otherwise, the boat would be dashed on the rocks.  There is what we call a breakwall.  This breakwall is a barrier between the rough seas of the open waters and the safe haven of the docks or launch.  One must enter the launch quietly.  There is no other way one can safely get to shore.

Now, if you are reading this, you are thinking, “Doesn’t that illustration lend to the idea that quietness is the condition upon which one must be to reach one’s desired haven?  It all depends on who is piloting the boat.  For my father-in-law, it was his condition.  He had to steer that boat into quiet waters before he could pilot the boat into the desired haven.  From my perspective, this was not a condition, but the nature of the trip.  I had nothing to do with getting the boat where it needed to be.  That was all up to a man far more experienced than I.  Had I steered that boat, we would have capsized.  If getting to the quiet waters was up to me, we wouldn’t have made it.  No, I had to place my faith is someone who had done this before and knew what they were doing.  I was merely enjoying the change from chaos to calm.  I was never so glad to reach dry ground and place my feet on something that didn’t move.  Here’s the point:  The LORD may not pluck you right out of the stormy sea and immediately place you on quiet ground as a means to escape the sea.  Rather, in the midst of the turmoil, He often quiets the trouble so that you can enter the desired haven in quietness and joy.  As we see the breakwall ahead and know the waters will be calmed, the closer we get to that desired haven, the more quiet and glad we become.  In other words, don’t desire an escape from the sea while the sea rages on.  Rather, look for the LORD to calm the storm beforehand, so that you can enjoy the haven to come.