Highlighting God's Presence to Inspire Your Life!
Three simple words, yet so powerful!
They were the parting words from the cashier, as I finished paying for my purchase at a local Dollar General store. Frankly, it surprised me. I don’t think a cashier has ever said that to me before. As I walked to my car and got inside, ready to start the engine, those three words echoed in my mind. They prompted me to go back into the store with one of my books in tow. Continue reading “APPRECIATION”
In last week’s reflection, I shared about the rough waters I observed while enjoying quiet time at a cottage on Lake Ontario. This week I want to reflect on the calm waters that I observed on two of the days.
Besides taking lots of pictures of sunsets while at the lake, the other highlight was trying to get the “perfect” pictures of seagulls! I managed to get a few that I was pretty proud of.
I began to think about the parallels between the water, waves, wind, and God in our lives.
Calm Lake Ontario
What can we learn from some Bible verses referencing calm waters?
You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas. You formed the mountains by your power and armed yourself with mighty strength. You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations. Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy. –Psalm 65:5-8 (NLT)
What a beautiful psalm of praise to God. The psalmist shares how God is the One who silences the raging waters both with waters figuratively in our lives. He calms the waters! How important it is to continually praise the Lord, be in awe of His wonders, and declare His Lordship with shouts of joy.
“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor! Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation. –Psalm 107:28-32 (NLT)
How do we get “calm waters” in our lives? By crying out to the Lord in times of trouble. Yes, He can turn the storm into a whisper, and still the waves. We can trust Him to bring us to a place of safety as He guides our footsteps, being with us always. The psalmist reminds us to see God’s great love and to exalt Him in all things, even if the storm isn’t calmed the way we think it should be.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. –Psalm 23:1-3 (ESV)
Where does the Lord lead us? The Lord, being our Good Shepherd, leads us to the calm, still waters of our lives. Even in the raging storms, He is the One who supplies moments of refreshment, peace, and even joy, as we know He provides what we need.
Photo courtesy of Sapphire Dream Photography under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND-2.0)
Even in calm waters, boats still need anchors to provide stability to help steady the boat and stop it from drifting. It is the same in the calm waters of our lives. We still need our anchor, Jesus, and the hope He provides.
We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone. I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. –Psalm 33:20-23, 34:1 (NLT)
Our hope, Jesus, is our help and shield. He is the One who calms the waters of our lives. When we embrace His unfailing love that is always with us, we are able to trust Him more and praise Him at all times. What a mighty Lord and Savior we have.
Sunset over the calm waters
They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water. –Isaiah 49:10 (NIV)