Those Who Descend the Ocean

From: August 28 – Sept. 3, 2012 TOPIC: “Those Who Descend the Ocean” Psalm 107: 23 – 30

Navigation was not often practiced among the Israelites, for such reason the sailors lived in sort of a mystery with respect to the ocean and their duty was considered as singularly audacious and dangerous. The stories related to the ocean were heard emotionally and whoever navigated to Tharsis or to Ophir and returned alive was considered a hero; he was considered an old sailor who had to be heard attentively. The journeys by ocean were seen like descending at the abyss (verse 26). It was like going or descending to the depths of the ocean. Let us consider the verses in this psalm; our relation with God is compared to the navigation in the ocean. We can think about navigating and get to see and participate of God’s wonders and of the depth of His wisdom and of His great deeds. But, not everyone has the same profound experience with the Lord. But, whoever navigates at those depths with God will be able to do many things in His name. It would be best for us to allow God to take us wherever He wants us to navigate, to be able to navigate in the depths of His great will in each one of our lives. If we hurl and navigate in His will, we will never perish. The profound experiences that come from God have a good end or purpose. This psalm makes reference to the danger and the afflictions. The life with God implicates facing the struggles, the dangers, the storms and tempests. In many occasions God sends some of the saints to the ocean of the tribulations of the soul. How much there is to struggle in order to come out unharmed! To fight in such a way that the strokes will not destroy us! When we have been able to struggle and come out of the storm and tribulation, and we had thought that we were going to drown in those depths of water, then, there were able to see the wonders of the divine grace, something marvelous that others ignore. When navigating thru the abyss of the depravation, thru the immense waters of poverty, in the midst of the waves of persecution and the surge of temptation, God is needed above everything else and, surely, if we seek Him, we will find Him. There is no knowledge that can help us to get out of the well of desperation, of the great depths of danger and of fear, of the storms. Psalm 107: 28 "Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress." When we have exhausted all resources we can still pray with a melted heart all broken down crying out for help. God receives news more frequently from people who are in comfort, in peace and beyond danger. The prodigal son was very arrogant and decided that he would never return until the necessity lead him to return; then he heard words of love from his father. Agar was arrogant in the house of Abraham, but humble in the desert. God heard and saw her affliction (Genesis 21: 16-17). Manasseh reigned in Jerusalem and lived like a libertine, but, when chained in Babylon, his heart turned to the Lord. (2 Chronicles 33:11-13) In the same way, the bodily illnesses forced many others to turn to Christ like the woman with the flow of blood, the blind man, the paralytic whose bed was brought down thru the roof, the leper, and Peter’s mother-in-law. Meanwhile, others, who enjoyed good health, did not acknowledge it. One can think that it would cause displeasure to the Lord to listen to these prayers that are driven only by the desire of avoiding the danger and not out of love and the sincerity of the heart. But, if it wasn’t for the disgrace of the blindness, the limp, the paralysis, the fever, etc. in the days of Christ, there wouldn’t have been that many people approaching Him in mob. Glory to Him for His great love and mercy! Psalm 107:29 "He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed." The picture is as follows: before being redeemed men are like a ship in a stormy ocean, shaken by the passions, thrown from here to there because of anguish, carried away by the temptations that are never at rest. In the smiling days of prosperity men are in a calm status, but the afflictions will come, the afflictions of sin and from Satan; and from there they are unable to escape with ingenuity or with their strength. It was the same way with the disciples when they were alone at night in the midst of the ocean and the wind, and the waves were against them! They rowed helplessly until Christ approached them walking over the ocean and ordered the winds to cease and the waves to silence, in which a great calm overcame them, because the same elements recognized the voice of their Creator, and obeyed. His Word is all-powerful to calm the tempestuous sea and the most furious elements. And He is as omnipotent in the spiritual world as He is in the natural world. He hears the clamor and orders the discordant or conflicting passions to cease in the lives of men and a blessed calm reigns. Then His creatures rejoice because the tempestuous waves calmed down. No one can appreciate this verse as much as someone who has been in a storm at sea. There isn’t music sweeter than the noise made by the chains when they are being dragged by the sailors when dropping the anchor; there isn’t a place that would seem more desirable than the bay or harbor where the ship is at rest. God guides men who cry out to Him from the heart to the harbor they wish. How harsh and dangerous is the voyage, the more the sailors yearn to arrive at the harbor where they are safe. Only God is security and trust for all men. We will clamor to Him, seek Him and trust at all times during our voyage. Amen.