Awe-inspiring, powerful, so much greater
by Pastor Peter Bean
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
The ocean waves are powerful, but the Lord above is much greater (Psalm 93:4).
If you have read anything I have written, you would know I love nature. I believe God chooses nature, or creation, as well as Scripture, to reveal himself.
Yet this verse and psalm puts things in context. Who hasn’t stood and watched with awe the majesty of waves rolling in off the ocean? Recently, my wife and I were fortunate enough to be at Ocean Beach, just north of Strahan in Western Tasmania, where the waves a kilometre offshore reach heights of up to 12 metres. Amazing. Spectacular. While the weather was what could be described as inclement while we were there, the ocean was still awe-inspiring. The waves were that powerful that no-one would venture out into them. They ruled that section of the earth and world!
But the Lord above is much greater! And we might add, the Lord present, with us here and now, is much greater. As wonderful, awe-inspiring and powerful as nature can be, the Lord is greater. Jesus showed that on the lake when he calmed the storm. The disciples’ response: ‘What kind of man is this? Even the wind and waves obey him!’ (Matthew 8:23–27).
I can’t imagine the wind and waves at Ocean Beach obeying Jesus! They are too wild, too powerful, too strong in themselves. But I can imagine it! I can imagine Jesus calmly taking my hand on that beach and saying, ‘Peter, watch this’!
The same Lord who calms the waves and wind lives in you and me. The same Lord who quieted the storm calms our storms. He quietens the winds in our lives. He takes the fissures and cracks and restores them to wholeness. This God of nature is also the God of our lives. More powerful, ever-present, bringing awe into the everyday and reassuring us of life!
Lord of heaven and earth, God of wonders beyond our galaxy, be present in our everyday lives. Remind us that your power and presence is so much greater than anything we see in nature or experience in our lives. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
- Click here to read previous devotions.
- We are also posting them on LCA Facebook, making it easy for you to share them with family and friends.
- Sign up to receive Daily Devotion in your inbox every morning. If you’re already doing that, please encourage others to sign up. Click here for the link.