waves

Standing in ocean surf will remind you where you fit in the world. At its mildest, the sea will pull the sand out from under your feet, while when the surf is up it will knock you over and pull you out. As you stand, the waves come at you endlessly all the way from the horizon. Those waves can pound boats to pieces and, over time, change the shape of the rocks themselves.

I was thinking all that this morning, thinking of walking the tide line at Moro Bay and swimming in the Atlantic off the Panama Canal, two times that the ocean exhausted me. Here’s what triggered my memories, from Psalm 93:3-4:

“The seas have lifted up, Lord,
the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea—
the Lord on high is mighty.”

The irresistible weight of the ocean is part of God’s revelation, one that speaks in particular to his power and might. In the same way, the rain and sun and seasons tell of his providence, and birds and flowers show his love for beauty. Grandmothers who tell Bible stories are evidence of the covenant, and children who love Jesus show God’s faithfulness to all generations.

This whole world sings of God, if we just take the time to listen.