The Great Controller

Job 38:8,11 – Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb … when I said, "This far you may come and no farther: here is where your proud waves halt"? (NIV)

My favourite vacation is a trip to the beach. My husband and I love to get a hotel by the water. We can sit and watch the mighty ocean waves roll in — roll in just so far, and no more. God, the controller of the waters, allows the waves to roll in a certain pattern onto the sandy beach. I am fascinated that the water comes to a certain point and then retreats back into the great basin of ocean, with such regularity of rhythm.

The stars shining in the skies above, in their pre-determined patterns, remind me of the greatness of the Creator responsible for it all.

One night when we looked out at the beach, the waves were angry, slapping at the beach and mixing the sand with particles of trash. Overhead, low flying, angry clouds, pierced by flashes of lightning and punctuated by claps of thunder, turned my beautiful seaside picture into one of fear, anger, and chaos.

That night, the beach was not my friend. We folded our chairs, closed the door, and pulled the drapes. We sought refuge and protection within the closed hotel room, feeling fearful, powerless, and somewhat alone.

I quickly breathed a prayer to the Creator God of the universe to keep us safe and to be our refuge and strength while the storm outside rolled in.

Next morning, when I looked out my window, order had been restored from the chaos of the night before. A friendly sun was shining on the beach, and the waves were in their natural rhythm once more.

Psalm 46:5 – God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. (NIV)

God may allow the chaos to come into our lives, overshadowing the regularity of the waves, letting them overstep their boundaries, but He will still be there when the morning comes, with a fresh promise for our lives. We can rest assured that the same God, who created or allowed the storm the night before, restores the orderliness of the dawn with its message of peace and love.

Psalm 30:5b – Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. (NIV)

Prayer: O Lord, our strength and refuge in the times of chaos, grant us the joy of seeing Your ordered world when the morning comes. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Forward this devotional     Share this devotional on Facebook     Like PresbyCan on Facebook