Psalm 107:30
They rejoiced in the silence, and He guided them to the harbor they desired.
Then they were glad
This phrase captures the emotional transition from distress to relief. The Hebrew root for "glad" is "שָׂמַח" (samach), which conveys a deep, heartfelt joy. In the context of ancient Israel, joy was often associated with deliverance and salvation, reflecting a profound gratitude towards God. Historically, the Israelites experienced numerous instances of divine intervention, and this joy is a testament to their faith in God's providence.

when it grew calm
The calming of the storm is a powerful metaphor for God's control over chaos. The Hebrew word "שָׁקַט" (shaqat) means to be quiet or at peace. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the sea often symbolized chaos and danger. God's ability to calm the sea demonstrates His sovereignty over creation, echoing the creation narrative where God brings order out of chaos.

and He guided them
The guidance of God is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, emphasizing His role as a shepherd to His people. The Hebrew root "נָחָה" (nachah) means to lead or guide. This guidance is not just physical but also spiritual, as God leads His people towards righteousness and fulfillment of His promises. Historically, this reflects the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, where God's guidance was both literal and symbolic.

to their desired haven
The "desired haven" represents a place of safety and rest. The Hebrew word "מְחוֹז" (machoz) refers to a harbor or refuge. In the biblical narrative, reaching a haven symbolizes the fulfillment of God's promises and the end of a perilous journey. This imagery would resonate deeply with ancient seafarers and travelers who understood the relief of reaching a safe harbor after a tumultuous voyage. Spiritually, it signifies the ultimate rest and peace found in God's presence.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Sailors/Travelers
The verse refers to those who were at sea, experiencing turmoil and then finding peace. They symbolize believers who face life's storms.

2. The Calm
Represents the peace and tranquility that God provides after a period of distress or chaos.

3. The Harbor
Symbolizes a place of safety and fulfillment, the ultimate destination or goal that God leads His people to.

4. God
The divine guide and protector who brings His people through trials to a place of peace.

5. The Sea
Often a biblical metaphor for chaos and danger, representing life's challenges and uncertainties.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty Over Nature and Life's Storms
Just as God calms the literal seas, He has the power to bring peace to the storms in our lives. Trust in His sovereignty and timing.

The Joy of Deliverance
Rejoicing in God's deliverance is a natural response. Reflect on past deliverances and let them fuel your faith in current trials.

Guidance to Desired Destinations
God knows the desires of our hearts and guides us to places of safety and fulfillment. Seek His guidance in prayer and trust His direction.

The Importance of Faith in Trials
Trials are inevitable, but faith in God's ability to bring calm and guidance is crucial. Strengthen your faith through scripture and prayer.

The Role of Gratitude
Gratitude for God's deliverance should be a constant in our lives. Regularly express thankfulness for His guidance and peace.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the imagery of a storm and a calm sea in Psalm 107:30 relate to your personal experiences of life's challenges?

2. In what ways can you actively seek God's guidance to reach the "harbor" you desire in your life?

3. Reflect on a time when God brought peace to a chaotic situation in your life. How did that experience strengthen your faith?

4. How can the account of Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4:39 inspire you to trust God in your current circumstances?

5. What practical steps can you take to cultivate a heart of gratitude for God's deliverance and guidance in your daily life?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Mark 4:39
Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee parallels God's power to bring peace in Psalm 107:30.

Isaiah 43:2
God's promise to be with His people through waters and rivers connects to the theme of divine guidance and protection.

Philippians 4:7
The peace of God that surpasses understanding is akin to the calm described in Psalm 107:30.
Christ, the Pilot's PilotSunday CirclePsalm 107:30
Memories of Dangers PassedA. Maclaren, D.D.Psalm 107:30
Sure SailingT. Kelly, D.D.Psalm 107:30
The Desired HavenH. T. Miller.Psalm 107:30
The Desired HavenR. Tuck Psalm 107:30
The Pilot, the Passage, and the PortS. Conway Psalm 107:30
The Port of GloryW. H. Burton.Psalm 107:30
The Quiet of the SabbathW. G. Barrett.Psalm 107:30
Men and MercyHomilistPsalm 107:1-31
God's Watchful CareC. Short Psalm 107:1-43
Wherefore Men Should Praise the LordS. Conway Psalm 107:1-43
Four Portraits of One SoulS. Conway Psalm 107:4-32
A Plea for SailorsJ. G. Rogers, D.D.Psalm 107:23-31
At Their Wit's EndJ. Thew.Psalm 107:23-31
Distressed Seamen and the Sovereign of the SeaHomiletic MagazinePsalm 107:23-31
Lessons from the Ocean in a StormHomilistPsalm 107:23-31
On the Stormy SeaD. J. Burrell, D.D.Psalm 107:23-31
Sending Up a Signal of DistressPsalm 107:23-31
Soul NavigationHomilistPsalm 107:23-31
The Christian MarinerT. Kelly, D. D.Psalm 107:23-31
The Voyage of LifeD. Roberts, D.D.Psalm 107:23-31
Through Stress of WeatherT. Spurgeon.Psalm 107:23-31
When At Wit's EndPsalm 107:23-31
People
David, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Bringeth, Brings, Calm, Desire, Desired, Glad, Grew, Guided, Harbour, Haven, Leadeth, Led, Quiet, Rejoice, Takes
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 107:1-43

     5831   depression

Psalm 107:23-30

     5517   seafaring
     8129   guidance, examples

Psalm 107:29-30

     8328   quietness

Psalm 107:30-31

     6634   deliverance

Library
March 12. "They Wandered in the Wilderness in a Solitary Way" (Ps. Cvii. 4).
"They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way" (Ps. cvii. 4). All who fight the Lord's battles must be content to die to all the favorable opinions of men and all the flattery of human praise. You cannot make an exception in favor of the good opinions of the children of God. It is very easy for the insidious adversary to make this also all appeal to the flesh. It is all right when God sends us the approval of our fellow men, but we must never make it a motive in our life, but be content with
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Prayer and Science
(Preached at St. Olave's Church, Hart Street, before the Honourable Corporation of the Trinity House, 1866.) PSALM cvii. 23, 24, 28. They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. These are days in which there is much dispute about religion and science--how far they agree with each other; whether they contradict or interfere
Charles Kingsley—Discipline and Other Sermons

God's Great Deliverance of his People. --Ps. Cvii.
God's great Deliverance of His People.--Ps. cvii. part I.--The Wilderness. part II.--From Captivity. part III. From Malignant Disease. part IV. Perils on the Deep. Thank and praise Jehovah's name For his mercies firm and sure, From eternity the same, To eternity endure. Let the ransom'd thus rejoice, Gather'd out of every land; As the people of his choice, Pluck'd from the destroyer's hand. In the wilderness astray, Hither, thither, while they roam, Hungry, fainting by the way, Far from refuge,
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns

Thankfulness for Mercies Received, a Necessary Duty
Numberless marks does man bear in his soul, that he is fallen and estranged from God; but nothing gives a greater proof thereof, than that backwardness, which every one finds within himself, to the duty of praise and thanksgiving. When God placed the first man in paradise, his soul no doubt was so filled with a sense of the riches of the divine love, that he was continually employing that breath of life, which the Almighty had not long before breathed into him, in blessing and magnifying that all-bountiful,
George Whitefield—Selected Sermons of George Whitefield

He Accuses Abaelard for Preferring his Own Opinions and Even Fancies to the Unanimous Consent of the Fathers, Especially Where He Declares that Christ did Not
He accuses Abaelard for preferring his own opinions and even fancies to the unanimous consent of the Fathers, especially where he declares that Christ did not become incarnate in order to save man from the power of the devil. 11. I find in a book of his sentences, and also in an exposition of his of the Epistle to the Romans, that this rash inquirer into the Divine Majesty attacks the mystery of our Redemption. He admits in the very beginning of his disputation that there has never been but one conclusion
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Spiritual Hunger Shall be Satisfied
They shall be filled. Matthew 5:6 I proceed now to the second part of the text. A promise annexed. They shall be filled'. A Christian fighting with sin is not like one that beats the air' (1 Corinthians 9:26), and his hungering after righteousness is not like one that sucks in only air, Blessed are they that hunger, for they shall be filled.' Those that hunger after righteousness shall be filled. God never bids us seek him in vain' (Isaiah 45:19). Here is an honeycomb dropping into the mouths of
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

How those are to be Admonished with whom Everything Succeeds According to their Wish, and those with whom Nothing Does.
(Admonition 27.) Differently to be admonished are those who prosper in what they desire in temporal matters, and those who covet indeed the things that are of this world, but yet are wearied with the labour of adversity. For those who prosper in what they desire in temporal matters are to be admonished, when all things answer to their wishes, lest, through fixing their heart on what is given, they neglect to seek the giver; lest they love their pilgrimage instead of their country; lest they turn
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

"But if the Spirit of Him that Raised up Jesus from the Dead Dwell in You, He that Raised up Christ from the Dead, Shall Also
Rom. viii. 11.--"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." As there is a twofold death,--the death of the soul, and the death of the body--so there is a double resurrection, the resurrection of the soul from the power of sin, and the resurrection of the body from the grave. As the first death is that which is spiritual, then that which is bodily, so
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Providence of God
Q-11: WHAT ARE GOD'S WORKS OF PROVIDENCE? A: God's works of providence are the acts of his most holy, wise, and powerful government of his creatures, and of their actions. Of the work of God's providence Christ says, My Father worketh hitherto and I work.' John 5:17. God has rested from the works of creation, he does not create any new species of things. He rested from all his works;' Gen 2:2; and therefore it must needs be meant of his works of providence: My Father worketh and I work.' His kingdom
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Exposition of Chap. Iii. (ii. 28-32. )
Ver. 1. "And it shall come to pass, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." The communication of the Spirit of God was the constant prerogative of the Covenant-people. Indeed, the very idea of such a people necessarily requires it. For the Spirit of God is the only inward bond betwixt Him and that which is created; a Covenant-people, therefore, without such an inward
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Concerning the Lord's Supper
There are two passages which treat in the clearest manner of this subject, and at which we shall look,--the statements in the Gospels respecting the Lord's Supper, and the words of Paul. (1 Cor. xi.) Matthew, Mark, and Luke agree that Christ gave the whole sacrament to all His disciples; and that Paul taught both parts of it is so certain, that no one has yet been shameless enough to assert the contrary. Add to this, that according to the relation of Matthew, Christ did not say concerning the bread,
Martin Luther—First Principles of the Reformation

Effects of Messiah's Appearance
The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped: Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing. H ow beautiful and magnificent is the imagery, by which the Prophet, in this chapter, represents the effects of MESSIAH'S appearance! The scene, proposed to our view, is a barren and desolate wilderness. But when He, who in the beginning said, Let there be light, and there was light, condescends to visit this wilderness, the face of nature is
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Concerning Christian Liberty
CHRISTIAN faith has appeared to many an easy thing; nay, not a few even reckon it among the social virtues, as it were; and this they do, because they have not made proof of it experimentally, and have never tasted of what efficacy it is. For it is not possible for any man to write well about it, or to understand well what is rightly written, who has not at some time tasted of its spirit, under the pressure of tribulation. While he who has tasted of it, even to a very small extent, can never write,
Martin Luther—First Principles of the Reformation

Memoir of John Bunyan
THE FIRST PERIOD. THIS GREAT MAN DESCENDED FROM IGNOBLE PARENTS--BORN IN POVERTY--HIS EDUCATION AND EVIL HABITS--FOLLOWS HIS FATHER'S BUSINESS AS A BRAZIER--ENLISTS FOR A SOLDIER--RETURNS FROM THE WARS AND OBTAINS AN AMIABLE, RELIGIOUS WIFE--HER DOWER. 'We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.'--2 Cor 4:7 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.'--Isaiah 55:8. 'Though ye have lien among the
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Concerning Christian Liberty
Christian faith has appeared to many an easy thing; nay, not a few even reckon it among the social virtues, as it were; and this they do because they have not made proof of it experimentally, and have never tasted of what efficacy it is. For it is not possible for any man to write well about it, or to understand well what is rightly written, who has not at some time tasted of its spirit, under the pressure of tribulation; while he who has tasted of it, even to a very small extent, can never write,
Martin Luther—Concerning Christian Liberty

Effectual Calling
THE second qualification of the persons to whom this privilege in the text belongs, is, They are the called of God. All things work for good "to them who are called." Though this word called is placed in order after loving of God, yet in nature it goes before it. Love is first named, but not first wrought; we must be called of God, before we can love God. Calling is made (Rom. viii. 30) the middle link of the golden chain of salvation. It is placed between predestination and glorification; and if
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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