Here Allah mentions the favor He does for His creatures by sending winds to them, as harbingers of His mercy, meaning that they will be followed by rain. Allah says:

﴿وَلِيُذِيقَكُمْ مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِ﴾

(giving you a taste of His mercy,) that is, the rain which will come down and revive people and the land.

﴿وَلِتَجْرِىَ الْفُلْكُ بِأَمْرِهِ﴾

(and that the ships may sail at His command,) means, on the sea, for they are driven by the wind.

﴿وَلِتَبْتَغُواْ مِن فَضْلِهِ﴾

(and that you may seek of His bounty,) means, by trading, earning a living and traveling from one country to another, one region to another.

﴿وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ﴾

(in order that you may be thankful.) means, that you may give thanks to Allah for the innumerable favors He has done for you, both visible and hidden. Then Allah says:

﴿وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ رُسُلاً إِلَى قَوْمِهِمْ فَجَآءُوهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَانتَقَمْنَا مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُواْ﴾

(And indeed We did send Messengers before you to their own peoples. They came to them with clear proofs, then, We took vengeance on those who committed crimes;) These are words of consolation from Allah to His servant and Messenger Muhammad . They tell him that if many of his people and of mankind disbelieve in him, the previous Messengers were also rejected, despite the clear signs that they brought, but Allah punished those who rejected and opposed them, and saved those who believed in them.

﴿وَكَانَ حَقّاً عَلَيْنَا نَصْرُ الْمُؤْمِنينَ﴾

(and it was incumbent upon Us to help the believers.) This is a duty which Allah took upon Himself as a blessing and a favor to them. This is like the Ayah,

﴿كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ﴾

(your Lord has prescribed mercy for Himself) (6:54). Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Ad-Darda', may Allah be pleased with him, said: "I heard Allah's Messenger saying:

«مَا مِنِ امْرِىءٍ مُسْلِمٍ يَرُدُّ عَنْ عِرْضِ أَخِيهِ إِلَّا كَانَ حَقًّا عَلَى اللهِ أَنْ يَرُدَّ عَنْهُ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة»

(No Muslim man defends the honor of his brother except that there would be a right upon Allah to defend him from the fire of Hell on the Day of Resurrection.) Then he recited this Ayah:

﴿وَكَانَ حَقّاً عَلَيْنَا نَصْرُ الْمُؤْمِنينَ﴾

(and it was incumbent upon Us to help the believers.)''

﴿اللَّهُ الَّذِى يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَـحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَاباً فَيَبْسُطُهُ فِى السَّمَآءِ كَيْفَ يَشَآءُ وَيَجْعَلُهُ كِسَفاً فَتَرَى الْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلاَلِهِ فَإِذَآ أَصَابَ بِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ - وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَمُبْلِسِينَ - فَانظُرْ إِلَى ءَاثَـرِ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ يُحْىِ الاٌّرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَآ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَمُحْىِ الْمَوْتَى وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ - وَلَئِنْ أَرْسَلْنَا رِيحًا فَرَأَوْهُ مُصْفَرّاً لَّظَلُّواْ مِن بَعْدِهِ يَكْفُرُونَ ﴾

(48. Allah is He Who sends the winds, so that they raise clouds and spread them along the sky as He wills, and then break them into fragments until you see rain drops come forth from their midst! Then when He has made them fall on whom of His servants as He wills, lo, they rejoice!) (49. And verily, before that -- just before it was sent down upon them -- they were in despair!) (50. Look then at the effects of Allah's mercy, how He revives the earth after its death. Verily, that shall indeed raise the dead, and He is able to do all things.) (51. And if We send a wind, and they see it turn yellow -- behold, they then would become unthankful (disbelievers).)