In the nick of time

Some of you set sail in big ships;
you put to sea to do business in faraway ports.
Out at sea you saw GOD in action,
saw his breathtaking ways with the ocean:
With a word he called up the wind -
an ocean storm, towering waves!
You shot high in the sky, then the bottoms dropped out; your hearts were stuck in your throats.
You were spun like a top, you reeled like a drunk,
you didn't know which end was up.
Then you called out to GOD in your desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time.
He quieted the wind down to a whisper,
put a muzzle on all the big waves.
And you were so glad when the storm died down,
and he led you safely back to harbour.
So thank GOD for his marvelous love,
for his miracle mercy to the children he loves.
Psalm 107:23-31 The Message

There are some times and places in life when the only option is God. As I read this psalm this morning, I was recalling a time many years ago, when we were literally in a storm at sea, on a small 25ft yacht, off the coast of Sydney. The verse, 

You shot high in the sky, then the bottom dropped out; your hearts were stuck in your throats.

brings back particularly traumatic memories. Every time we went over the top of one of the big waves, we did have our hearts stuck in our throats as we waited to see if we would 'land' safely on the other side. We had a small outboard engine on the stern (back) of the boat, and as the boat rose on the big waves, the outboard would be out of the water and make a 'sewing machine noise' as the propeller blades turned without any water. For six hours we experienced God's breathtaking ways with the ocean. 

The worship song 'Shout to the Lord' by Darlene Zschech, had recently been released. I have a vivid memory of singing that song for most of the voyage. As we would rise up on the waves, I would sing at the top of my lungs, 

'The mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of Your Name, Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing, power and majesty, praise to the King.'

I know these lines are the opposite way to the chorus, but it worked better for me that way, almost as if, when we rose up on the waves,  I was commanding the waves, in Jesus Name, to bow down.

All the earth shall bow down to You and sing [praises] to You; they shall praise Your name in song. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! Psalm 66:4 AMP

That truth sustained me for the six hour voyage. As the Sydney heads came into view, the fuel in our outboard engine ran out. As the Voyage had taken longer that expected, we had used up all our spare fuel. My declarations of God's sovereignty and power moved to a whole new level! With one very small sail up, we literally surfed through Sydney heads. God had led us safely back to harbour, in the nick of time.

Throughout the voyage I had declared (screamed is probably a better description) God's word, as loud as I possibly could, and drew on what my many years of sailing had taught me to do. At the end of the voyage, after experiencing God's marvelous love, I could do nothing other than weep with an ever grateful heart. In fact I wept for three hours non-stop,

Blessed by the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! God is to us a God of deliverances and salvation; and to God the Lord belongs escape from death [setting us free]. Psalm 68:19-20 AMP

Question for today, are you in the midst of an ocean storm with towering waves? You may not be screaming out on top of literally big waves as I was, however, you may be screaming out to God in your own particular 'storm'. Remember, He is there, He is listening, He will get you out in the nick of time. God is a God of deliverances and salvation.