Tuesday, August 4, 2015

God and the Ocean

Who made heaven and earth, The sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever;
Psalms 146:6

This past week I had the privilege of visiting the ocean.  I was at camp with my teenage son and daughter and I spent as much of my free time as possible at the beach.  I am always amazed and fascinated by the vastness and powerfulness of the ocean.  I cannot think of anything else that makes me so aware of the power and magnificence of God. 

I noticed in particular that the current was so strong that I could barely stand in the water.  Trying to walk against the current was almost impossible.  When I tried to relax and drift on my inner tube it carried me very far away from where I wanted to be. The sand sometimes shifted underneath my feet making me work so hard to take steps and making me even more unsteady.  My legs were like jelly when I got out of the water and I was as tired as if I had run a marathon.

God’s Love is Vast and Powerful
It has been said that God’s love is like the ocean.  You can see its beginning but you cannot imagine its width and depth. You cannot see its end.  God loves us immensely in ways we can never fathom.  God loves us with an everlasting love, one that never ends.  It goes on and on and it never fails or gives up.  It is vast and powerful and all encompassing. You can swim in God’s love and never get to the bottom of it because it is beyond our ability to reach its limits. 

God’s Love Draws us to Him
Just like the strong current in the ocean pulls us along, God’s love draws us to Him.  When we grow tired and weary He will carry us along. He will wash over us and cleanse us from our sin and He has power over all the times we can’t hold on any longer.  He can when we can’t.  He can break down the walls, power through hard hearts, and destroy the chains that bind us.  His love rolls over us, soothing and smoothing out all the rough spots, just as the ocean waves smooth out the sandy shore. Through His mercy and grace He carries it all away just as the waves washing out to sea, forgiven and gone forever.    

I love the thought that God’s love for me is as BIG as the ocean.  I love that I can fully immerse myself in His love, get lost in His love and it completely envelops me.  The ocean is so very magnificent and amazing.  So is God’s love.  I can’t even fathom the depth of the ocean, the width of the ocean, the ongoing vastness before my eyes.  So it goes with God’s love.  We will never be able to comprehend it but we can lose ourselves in His love and savor the privilege and extravagance of this most incredible gift. 

Scripture to Claim:
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.  Ephesians 3:17-18

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