Be still and know that I am God

I have such wonderful memories of summers at the beach, both as a child and a newly-wed. Those days with no schedules, duties, or demands. Nothing but blue skies, brown sand and the warmth of the sun upon my soft skin.

            Picking my way across the sandy beach, I cringe as the shards of shattered seashells cut into the tender skin on the bottoms of my feet. Yet I have no second thoughts of slipping into a pair of shoes, for I love the rush of salty water as it breaks upon the sand then spreads over my feet like a cool, smooth satin sheet.

            The sea smells of salt and seaweed and fish and childhood memories of days playing on the beach. The sea feels safe and familiar, yet erratic and cold. Some days it laps gently at the shore, its ebb and flow caressing my skin and calming my soul. Other times it is fierce, pounding against the beach with massive waves that remind me I am just a tiny drop in a great big ocean.

            The ocean reminds me of God’s character. Sometimes He is gentle like the lapping, foaming water that caresses my feet, covering me with his love, enveloping me with His grace. Other times, He shows His power and might, roaring like the waves that dash against the cliffs.

            The ocean reminds me that God is in control, not I. He is the one who ordains where the waters should stop, who calms the seas and fills the waters with living creatures. He, not I, controls the waves that scamper up the beach then rush back down, swept back into the broad ocean once again. He, not I, holds the power to stop the tide from rising, or let it wash away the sandcastles I have so patiently built, leaving nothing but piles of shapeless, wet sand.

            The ocean reminds me to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).