Flooding Again This Tuesday?
Tuesday’s Verse:
From Psalm 107:29 ESV
“He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.”
This has been a harsh early summertime for us and many places around our country. Just this past weekend, incredible flooding occurred here in New Jersey, making roadways impassable. I still can’t forget the flooding in Asbury Park. In New York City, many roadways were closed as floodwaters rose to the height of car mirrors. Flooding on the BQE was no exception. In Texas and Missouri, floodwaters have become commonplace. Along the Gulf of America coast, where a tropical storm is expected to form, waves of heavy rain will affect many communities.
The psalmist sings of travelers caught at sea, overrun by wind and wave, crying out to the Lord in their distress. The Lord answers: “He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.” This is not merely a description of ancient sailors; it is a confession of faith in the God who rules over creation and who hears His people when trouble rises.
In Lutheran theology, we confess that God upholds all things by His almighty power and fatherly care. Storms—whether over the ocean, over our fields, or over our hearts—do not catch Him by surprise. He is not distant from the rain-laden clouds or the flooding streets; He is present, sovereign, and merciful. So the same voice that hushed the sea can hush the fear in our chests.
Today’s forecast of heavy rain may bring inconvenience, worry about basements and roads, or memories of past floods. The psalm does not deny the danger; it directs our eyes to the Deliverer. The pattern is clear: distress drives us to cry to the Lord, and the Lord delivers. So our crying is not a sign of weak faith but of living faith—faith that knows where to find help.
This also points us to Jesus. On the Sea of Galilee, He spoke to wind and wave, and “a great calm” came. The One who calmed the storm then is the same Lord who meets us in the storms now—not always by removing the rain immediately, but by remaining with us, guarding us, and guiding us to our “desired haven.”
✝️ A Prayer for Today:
Gracious Father, on this Tuesday, grant us a safe day with no flooding so that those in fear of disaster because of heavy rain can be calmed. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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