The Surging Sea
Scripture Reading — Psalm 89:1-13
You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.
The biggest wave on record was recorded on July 9, 1958, in Lituya Bay, Alaska. It was caused by an earthquake followed by a landslide, resulting in a towering tsunami more than 100 feet high. Just imagine a 10-story wall of water hurtling toward you.
The psalmist shares that God is in control of the surging seas. He is in control of its every motion. This psalm is a song reminding God’s people of all the great things he has done. “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever,” it begins. The psalmist sings about how God rules over the whole creation.
God shows his greatness in the sea. Try to imagine how far it extends, all of the life that is in it, the power it exerts on land as it crashes against the continents. God created the sea through his Word, and he still moves it and watches over it today.
When we need help, we can call on God because he rules our world. As the psalmist sang about God’s power to still the waves, so we can pray to our Lord to take care of us in the storms of our lives.
Do you have a storm in your life that you want to ask God to take care of? Pray to the Lord. Sing his praises.
Dear God, you know the storms that are in my heart and my life. Still my heart and calm my storms so that I can praise you in peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
About the author — Jason Zuidema and David Rozeboom
Dr. Jason Zuidema is executive director of the North American Maritime Ministry Association (namma.org) and an elder in the Église réformée du Québec. David Rozeboom serves as chaplain at the Montreal Ministry to Seafarers of the Christian Reformed Church (ministrytoseafarers.org). The authors thank Kevin Walker, NAMMA director of programs, for editorial assistance.
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