"By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas and the roaring of their waves."

                                                                                                Psalm 65:5-7

Maria and I got away to the beach for a few days this summer, our first “vacation” in over four years. What a great time we had. I came back rested (only got out of my chair to go to the beach, the bathroom or the bed); tanned (my stomach burnt to a crisp); and buff (actually, the only exercise I got, once again, was getting out of my chair to go to the beach, the bathroom or the bed). I was a virtual vision of the Greek god Adonis come to life.

As I sat out on the beach one day, I became fascinated with the waves that broke over the shore. I’ve seen them my whole life, growing up on the banks of a river. The rhythm and roar of the waves, one after another, never pausing. As I thought about that, I realized that those same waves have been breaking like that for millions of years, the tide being pulled in and out by the rotation of the moon.

What an awe-inspiring and overwhelming thought. To sit in the presence of something that has been going on for centuries and will go on until the end of time. Seeing at the same time in the same event both a power that cannot be controlled and yet within that power beauty and peace and comfort because of its never ceasing motion, the promise of continuity in an ever-changing world.

The power and majesty seen in God’s creation is an awesome reminder of how big our God is. And it also reminds us that just like those waves, God’s presence in our lives has been going on for centuries and will go on until and even beyond the end of time.

The world will continue to turn because the God who created it is still on His throne. And that same God who created the waves and the seas created us and keeps watch over us as well.

What a mighty and loving God we serve.

"Father, help us to see that the most powerful thing you created is love and grace, and it is ours simply by professing Your Son as our Savior. Thank you, Father, in Jesus' name, AMEN."

Grace,

Rev. Dan