"They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven."
(Psalm 107:30 TNIV)
In Psalm 107, we learn that God will rescue us from the storm: pluck us from wild winds and torrid waves and lead us to safe harbour. In this marvellous passage of Psalm 107: 28-30, we find an anchor for the soul and a sure hope in turbulent times. But what happens when we arrive at safe harbour?
It can be natural to assume that once the storm is over, we are well and ready to resume normal service, but we must take time to assess. God may have silenced the wind and hushed the waves, but the battering we received from them may linger. We may know that the storm is over, but not quite feel it.
When a ship returns to harbour it may need attention to its situation. Sails to mend, repair on the bow, paintwork inside and out. So it is with us. To come through a storm will bring relief, but it could also signal a season of rest and recovery.
In Mark 1:31, we read how Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law from a fever: "So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them". On this occasion the results were instant, but it may not always be so. While Psalm 107 buoys us that God can save us from the storm, at times what follows is a call to dwell in safe harbour.
If God allows us to stay in harbour, then it is either necessary, beneficial or both. God understands the damage incurred by the challenges of life far better than we do, and only he knows the time and means to repair us. This may be a day, a month or a year, depending on the length and tragedy of the storm, but it is also dependent on God's plans for us and how he seeks to use us.
To see time in the harbour as a feature of weakness or repair is to miss the opportunity. God takes or orchestrates such times for sitting at the well with him. Time to sip from the living water who not only restores our souls, but fills our tank to serve him as never before.
Further reading: Jeremiah 17:7-8; John 7: 37-38; and Revelation 22: 1-2
Copyright © Sharmila Meadows 2023
Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 2004 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, a division of Hodder Headline ltd. All rights reserved. “TNIV” is a registered trademark of International Bible Society.
A really insightful post (as always!). I'd never thought about what happens in harbour. Thanks for that - much to reflect on.