My Friends,
Psalm 46: 1-3
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
I had the treat of my life this summer when I visited California and enjoyed the beautiful Pacific Ocean. I experienced the ocean, too; I didn’t just look at its beauty; I didn’t just listen to the powerful, crushing yet silencing waves. I experienced it by getting in it.
Yes, I experienced it. I got in that ocean, and I experienced the fear and intimidation of it, the power of it knocking me flat. Yes, knocking me flat because I had absolutely no idea how to manage the scary, overwhelming waves that came without apology yet mannerly and orderly and with full right to be there and behave in the manner of “Christ,” to behave for why, how and what it was created to do. Today, I want to share what I learned as my patient daughter guided me through this process which of course turns into a spiritual lesson for me. This is what I wrote in my journal about it:
“When I tried to fight the wave, it demolished me. The secret to peace is to acknowledge the strength before me, whether greater than I or not, and to relinquish my control over the situation. Leave it up to God, to His sovereignty and the natural forces He ordains to allow me to ride the wave to safety, to enjoy the ride and to rise above the wave.
When the wave broke, it was too late to ride it. Shrinking back in fear and with too much caution and with the notion that I could control the situation demolished me also. It also demolished me twice – first when the wave came in and then again when it returned out to sea.”
So, the lesson here is this: Ride the wave; enjoy the ride; acknowledge that it is more powerful than you; acknowledge that the wave is under the sovereign command of your loving Heavenly Father and that the natural forces of whatever wave comes your way is not to be controlled by you. You might try to control it, or you might shrink back from it, but know this: No matter how powerful the wave is that is coming your way, you are able to ride it by doing God’s will, by seeking peace and pursing it, by doing good, by doing His will. You are able to ride any wave that comes your way, no matter how powerful or stifling or intimidating. Yes, ride the wave, enjoy the wave, and obey your Lord before the wave breaks.
Riding the wave was one of the most thrilling experiences for me. Why? First of all, because my daughter coached me through the fear of going out into the water far enough to meet the wave with the goal of riding it. Secondly, because the power and peace I had when I relinquished control of the situation actually freed me up to “do God’s will”, to let the natural forces of what He established work for my benefit and enjoyment. Lastly, no matter how powerful the wave was, when I followed the command of how to ride the wave, I had peace, freedom, protection and a lot of joy. I felt like I was on the path of peace that God has for us. Fear went to calm; intimidation went to freedom; oppression went to expression; cries of “help” went to laughter, actually giggles, of joy.
Be blameless, my friends. Be blameless by riding the wave God has ordained for you. I bet the more powerful the wave, the greater your joy, the greater your freedom, the greater your peace and calm, and the greater your love for God will be.
Seek peace and pursue it, my friends. Seek peace and pursue it by riding the way!
