Written by Jana
Waves... Waves are amazing; they are powerful, calming, beautiful, majestic! The sound of waves reaching the shore has a holiday feel to it, it calms the heart and feeds the soul. At the same time the haunting sound or crashing waves reminds of scary movies and lost lives. The ocean is powerful and awesome! Covering more than two thirds of the land it is much more than we could ever imagine and even today in our technologically advanced era surprises with secrets and mystery...
Not being able to compare God to anything on earth or known to man, yet having to do so to somehow comprehend the glory of the Lord we serve brought me the following comparison. If anything known to man could be presented to capture our Lord’s greatness, the ocean would have to be it. Allow me to explain...
All the earth (land) is surrounded with oceans. On every beach there’s waves constantly breaking, over and over again. I was told once that the sound the waves make as they break is symbolised by the omega symbol. Omega means “I am” therefore as the waves reach the shore, all around the world, every second our living God keeps on reminding us: “I am”. Our Lord is so powerful, so huge, and so awesome that every day, constantly He reminds us that He is. Just as He was yesterday, and will be tomorrow.
nNo human has ever journeyed across every inch of the ocean. Nobody has ever discovered all the secrets hidden below the surface. No person will ever be able to grasp the fullness of our Father. “Oh how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and ways! For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give Him advice? And who has given Him so much that he needs to pay it back? For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory.” Rom 11:33-36
When thinking about the seaside, one almost always picture white beaches, blue waters and sunset cruises. Hardly ever do you think about the many lives lost, about the horror of storms and the dangers hidden in the pretty blue waters. This is the same with God. The church seems to conveniently forget about the wrath of God. Teaching of hope, love and forgiveness are given daily. “Three things will last forever – faith, hope and love – and the greatest of these are love” 1 Cor 13:13 has become a theme. No one is ever told about the Lion, we all fall in love with the Lamb. Just as one should have respect and fear the ocean one should respect and fear God. If the ocean has the ability to overnight turn into a raging, dangerous death machine how much more is the power of our Lord?
Advertising the pretty might motivate people to take a holiday at some dream destination. Learning to scuba dive and seeing what lies beneath will give you a deeper appreciation and realising the power will teach you respect. It is only when you know the Lion that you can truly appreciate the Lamb.