The loaded cargo ship pulled away from a San Francisco pier on a beautiful fall morning. It was beginning a four-week journey to the South Pacific. There it would be unloaded and then reloaded with goods to bring back to the United States. It was a trip the sailors on this ship were used to. But there were times when they became aware of their helplessness in the face of the forces of nature.
As the sunny days passed, there were no thoughts of problems in the sailors’ minds. However, when the ship was about 600 miles off the California coast, a storm sprang up, and the ship’s engines broke down. Suddenly they had big problems!
On the lowest deck of the ship, two large tractors were tied down. Each of these weighed several tons. As the ship rolled and tossed in the storm with no engines to direct its course, one of the tractors broke loose and began rolling from side to side, crashing into the side of the ship with each roll. Although the sailors tried to tie it down again, it kept breaking loose. They finally gave up and told the captain that it was too dangerous to try to tie it down.
Their problems continued to get worse. The loose tractor crashed into the second tractor, loosening it. Now both tractors rolled back and forth as the ship rolled in the huge waves. The storm was still raging, and the weight of the tractors would break through the side of the ship in a very short time.
As these thoughts rushed through the captain’s mind, he knew nothing could be done with the storm still raging and the engines not working. He called to his crew members and told them they all must pray. The crew gathered together, and each one prayed to the God of the universe to save them from certain death.
God, in His goodness, heard their desperate cries, and He calmed the storm. Then the Coast Guard could safely get near the ship to tow it back to port.
The ship, captain and crew members reached the port safely. But when the incident was talked about later, no one mentioned how God had answered their prayers, and none of the crew stopped to thank God for saving them from the terrible storm. Isn’t that sad?
Psalm 107 talks about people who travel in the sea doing their work and seeing the Lord’s wonders in the deep ocean, when God raises stormy winds that cause big waves. Then as they ride up huge waves and rush down the other side, they get so afraid that they cry to the Lord. He is so kind that He calms the storm, ending their fear. Then they are glad, and they can go on to the harbor they were trying to get to. (See Psalm 107:23-3023They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; 24These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. 25For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 26They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 27They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end. 28Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 29He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 30Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. (Psalm 107:23‑30).)
This reminds us of another storm. It is not the kind of storm that tosses ships up and down on scary ocean waves, but a storm that we can experience in our own hearts because of sin. Maybe you know what this is about. You try to be good, and for a little while, you are good, but you always do something wrong eventually. You know that doing wrong things is sin, and sin is bad, and it has to be paid for by someone. Maybe you are worried about that, and afraid of what is ahead. If you are still in that kind of storm, you, too, can cry to the Lord. He wants to calm that storm in your heart of worry about punishment for sin. He can do that because the Lord Jesus Himself went to the cross to take all of the awful storm of God’s anger against sin for you, if you will only believe on Him. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)).
And if you have believed, I hope you often thank the Lord Jesus for what He did for you on the cross. Psalm 107:3131Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! (Psalm 107:31) ends the story about the storm by saying, “Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” Why don’t you thank Him right now for the terrible storm He went through so that you may be saved?
Messages of God’s Love 9/29/2024