Far from the Tempest
Scripture Reading — Psalm 55:1-8, 20-23
“Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. . . . I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”
What turmoil the psalmist experienced here! Enemies watched him constantly, eager to threaten and accuse whenever they could. The worst part was that some of them were people he had trusted as friends.
Our inner storms can be intense when we are betrayed by someone close to us. In storms like that, we often cannot think straight. We question everything. Where can a solution be found?
The writer of this psalm wanted the same solution we would—to get away. How wonderful it would be to fly away like a bird when we are faced with betrayal. It would be such a relief to leave all our troubles behind, to unplug from all the challenges.
But that was not possible for the psalmist. Enemies dogged him again and again. The threats on his life continued.
Have you felt the sting of betrayal by someone who was close to you? Perhaps you are living in that kind of storm now.
At the end of the psalm, the writer provides the wisest response we can give in situations like this: “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you.” Whether we can fly away from our enemies or not, we can give our burdens over to the Lord, and we can trust in him to set things right.
Lord, please heal our minds and hearts. We give our burdens over to you. Forgive us our sins, and help us to forgive the people who have sinned against us. Amen.
About the author — Jason Zuidema and David Rozeboom
Dr. Jason Zuidema is executive director of the North American Maritime Ministry Association (namma.org) and an elder in the Église réformée du Québec. David Rozeboom serves as chaplain at the Montreal Ministry to Seafarers of the Christian Reformed Church (ministrytoseafarers.org). The authors thank Kevin Walker, NAMMA director of programs, for editorial assistance.
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