The Thought for the Day is from Psalm 114 v 7.
Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water
Back and forth, back and forth go the pounding waves of the sea. From ages past, the continents have been separated by the mighty oceans. Man has learned to travel over them, to descend to the bottom of them and to travel through them. But their immensity and the relentless force of their waves remain untameable. Rocks are crushed, shorelines are changed, and even experienced sailors can be driven aground or sent to the bottom of the sea. The combined genius of man and the most powerful equipment can do little to conquer the oceans.
But the seas are no problem for God. Psalm 114 refers to the parting of the Red Sea (Exod. 14 v 13-31) to describe God’s great power. The psalmist wrote, “The sea saw it and fled” (Psalm 114 v 3). Then he asked, “What ails you, O sea, that you fled?” (v 5). The answer is implied: The seas were obeying the command of God.”
I have always been fascinated by the sea and terrified of it as well. Being able to look at the sea from our front windows has eased the transition of moving to Felixstowe from Portrush for both Drew and myself.
Yesterday when it was so hot, I just wanted to go and jump into it to cool down. I admire all those who swim long distance in the sea as I’m a coward in regard to swimming in the sea. I’m a poor swimmer and I like to know what’s underneath me ie.the floor of a swimming pool.
The beach changes every day, sometimes there’s a lot of shingle and on other occasions there’s more sand. One day I was walking on the beach near the Fort and when I looked down there was a pebble in the shape of a dog’s head. Why did I look down at that precise moment or notice that particular pebble among the billions? The stormy seas are an easy way to see the power of God. It’s much more difficult to see and feel the pressures of the world. They can just creep up on you.
We need to remember that the power of God within us is greater than the pressure around us. Give thanks for the power and love of God.