The floods have risen up, O Lord. The floods have roared like thunder; the floods have lifted their pounding waves. But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore— the Lord above is mightier than these! Your royal laws cannot be changed. Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever. Psalms 93:3-5 NLT
The power of the sea. I can imagine that the Psalmist had access to vistas of either the waters of the great rivers of Euphrates and the Tigris, the pristine, Persian Gulf (both located by the city of Babylon) or maybe the beautiful Mediterranean Sea by Jerusalem. This Psalm was likely written by Ezra the Scribe.
There is nothing more ominously powerful than the oceans of the world. A massive 71% of our beautiful blue globe is water! I have often sat for hours looking out at the expansive vista of our own shores of the Pacific ocean. Mesmerized by the rhythmic power of the crashing waves, pounding the sand. The sight and sound is comforting.
But imagine the ocean as a tantrum-throwing toddler, raging with fits of fury. Its mighty, giant storms, tidal waves and tsunamis know no resistance strong enough to stand against it. The ocean is untamable. Ezra is in awe of our God that is magnificently, compoundedly more powerful than the sea! The sea roars, lifting its waves higher than an elevation of 1720 feet, a megatsunami in 1958 that hit Lituya Bay, in southeast Alaska. What could be mightier than the power and unpredictability of the ocean? It is God who created it!
Ezra’s love and respect for His mighty God and His Word declares and compares this awesomeness to the power of God’s royal laws. They cannot be changed. God’s Word cannot be swayed or subdued! Nothing can compare or compromise the capability of God’s Word. One my favorite verses concerning the durability and life-giving sustainability is found in Isaiah 40:8, The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever. Amen Ezra! Indeed our God and His reign is holy forever and ever.
Prayer
Dad,
The vistas of the sea are my most favorite places to pray and think about your power and strength. With wind and sun, with white-noise sound of waves, I feel safe and at peace knowing that you are powerful enough to crush us, but instead invite us, in relationship, to know you. How ominous is your presence in those moments. Thank you for being expansively beyond what I can even imagine! Thank you for Your Word, which is enduring and powerful, to keep your promises and complete the work you are doing in me. I am in awe of You! Amen.