Our Wits' End

"They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end." ( Psalm 107:26-27 )  

The context of Psalm 107 is that the members of the community are calling one another to give thanks to the LORD for rescuing them from their distress. There are four specific accounts detailed, and my Bible commentary says, "It is gratitude for Judah's return from exile." 

Verse 27 is the retelling of sailors on an uncontrollable sea who come to "their wits' in" - the ESV footnote says in Hebrew that means "and all of their wisdom was swallowed up." 

This passage in my reading plan immediately reminded me of other "boats" in the biblical narrative on a stormy sea - Noah's ark, the little floating bassinet made by Moses's mother to protect her son from death, the Disciples' storm tossed fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee. 

Another thing I learned from several commentators is that "sea" in Scripture, especially Revelation, is symbolic for the world, evil, and damnation. 

So, in these stories, we see that each boat is a vessel of salvation displaying not man's obedience or goodness, but the mercy of God, first and foremost, "in our evil plight." 

"- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." ( Romans 5:8 ) 

Last Friday as I was driving on a two lane back road to North Carolina, I was startled by a downpour from a thunderstorm heavier than anything I can ever remember driving in before. The water was accumulating on the road, but I couldn't stop or see to pull over, even if there was a place. My hands tightened on the steering wheel as my body tensed up, but I knew the best thing to do was to keep inching along through the sheets of rain with my eyes fastened firmly on the dim glow of the taillights in front of me. 

We are in empty, fragile vessels, and until we allow our wisdom to be swallowed up, we will never reach for God because we don't think we need him. Of the world religions including secularism, only the Christian faith answers all of the big questions in our hearts, swallows up the emptiness that the world attempts so inadequately to fill. The Gospel of Jesus Christ alone fits the human narrative. 

In the Christian faith we want everything to be "either, or," and it's just not that way - I think it's part of our human nature to desire this. 

By the way, regardless of what you hear, faith is not a force or a power that we tap into to get God to work on our behalf like a vending machine. Faith isn't a formula. 

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen." ( Hebrews 11:1 ) 

Christianity is a reasonable faith, for sure, but reason is not enough. We must take it on faith, that is how God has designed it, meaning we don't always understand everything. If we think we can, then our view of God is entirely too low. 

Yes in Christ as believers, we are in a vessel of salvation, but these lifeboats are traveling through troubled waters as long as we are in this world. Until we come to finally rest on the celestial shores, our journey is above and sometimes through deep waters. ( John 16:33 ) ( Psalm 77:19 ) 

When we finally come to our wits' end, that's where our faith in Christ begins. And in our transformation process as believers, faith doesn't change our situation; it changes us. It changes how we look at the world. Faith isn't so much about how our story ends, but it's how we live in the stormy middle of those stories. 

"Well done good and faithful servant." ( Matthew 25:23 ) 

Ironically even though it feels at times like we are hydroplaning, we are, in fact, deeply rooted to Christ by our faith, a gift given to us by the power of the Holy Spirit to believe in Christ and to live out our lives in him as God's dearly beloved children. These faith roots keep us grounded, abiding in the vine, connected to Jesus as he promises to sustain us to the end. ( Psalm 1 ) ( Jude 24 ) ( 1 Corinthians 1:8 ) 

The flood waters around us become the very thing that allow us to experience the saving grace of God and grow into his likeness, like Moses, Noah, and the Disciples. 

In other words, it feels scary as hades, but in Christ, it's as safe as Heaven. And one fine day, my friends, you will see the glory that all of that suffering was preparing. That's a promise. ( 2 Corinthians 4:17 ) 

"Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven." ( Psalm 107:28-30 ) 

Be encouraged dear ones in his great and precious promises to us! 

Happy Wednesday 💜