More Powerful Than The Waves
by Patti Marshall, Elder
Even after reading Psalm 93 multiple times in different versions, my head and heart swam by three Christian life constants:
The Sovereign, Mighty Creator God reigns upon His throne, robed and ruling, robed and surging with strength. He reigns from eternity past and through eternity to come. He established the world and He can’t be moved.
God is greater than our circumstances.
God is faithful.
Instead, my head, and heart dropped anchor for several hours on verses 3 to 4 – words describing sea storms that are up, sea storms wild and roaring, sea storms with thunderous breakers. There I was, once again, remembering and drowning in my noise and chaos of mighty waters and crashing sea waves. But the memory, this time, didn’t sweep me off my feet. I merely remembered.
In 1968-69, I met and married a friend and fellow teacher. We taught, traveled in Japan, and loved being a couple (so I thought). Within three months, the marriage was annulled. Over. Done. It was like being crushed with the force of a fifty-foot tidal wave, followed by endless breakers of fear, disillusionment, and confusion. The wave swept away every plan in its path. Floodwaters left the debris of heartbreak and heartache. Unfulfilled dreams floated away. I was drenched with shame and failure. I only saw a devastated, blurry future. Tangled in these feelings were many “How could you, God? Why, God?”
Fast-forward to 2021. Are my seas still stormy? Are the waves still rough? Yes, at times. The difference? Though easier said than done, I try to reflect sooner on those three Christian life constants rather than on my circumstances.
As you read Psalm 93, noting verses 3 to 4 during our 40-day fast, note how these verses explode, not with the intensity of hopelessness, but with God’s infinite power far greater than any force or circumstance we experience on earth. Yahweh in the heavens merely speaks a word, and these angry waters cower in fear. He is far more powerful than my or any tidal wave in our lives.
Here’s the song “Still” by Hillsong to help get you to a place of being still.
Prayer: God of majesty and might, when the storms of life pitch us back and forth, when we feel flooded with cares, when thunderous waters try to drown out Your voice, overwhelm us with You. You are mightier than the biggest wave. You reign over all the earth. Fill us with Your holy, power-filled, and faithful presence that calms our floods. Amen
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