“God said, ‘Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.’ And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
“And God said, ‘Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:6-10
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
“Or who shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb,
when I made clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
and prescribed limits for it
and set bars and doors,
and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?” Job 38:4-11
He who holds the immense and rushing waters in their places guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Could there be a more formidable Sentinel? He who determiness and monitors their boundaries does the same with lurking temptation, doubt, and fear. Could there be a stronger Keeper? He who with His breath calms the storm executes ‘Peace be still’ to our quaking souls. Is there a better Champion over any unrest of soul? (Isaiah 26:3; Mark 4:39; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Philippians 4:7)
When we encounter circumstances that threaten to overwhelm, our Savior bears us up. When we suffer grief, or anger, or loss, or physical pain that is too heavy to bear and pulls us under, our Lord lifts our head from drowning. How quickly we can go from sure footing to a slippery slide down into instability, confusion, miscommunication and hurt, from carefree joy to shocked despair. Yet our Lord is always nigh. He in grace appoints boundaries for all that would consume us, and stands as our Rescue and Defender. He lives ready to redeem and to save. (Psalm 3:3; 68:19)
“When through the deep waters I call you to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow,
for I will be with you, your troubles to bless,
and sanctify to you the deepest distress.” ~George Keith (1787)
What crashing downpour has taken our breath away and arrested any step forward? What deep and swirling waters are causing concern, eating away at the edges of our minds? What encroaching tides of darkness in our culture, our families, our imaginations, are eroding our calm? There is none more powerful than our God, no rushing current a match for His divine hand and certain will. The force of God’s love prevails in and over every enemy rush and swell. Would we put our hand in the hand of the One who stills the waters, and trust? (Romans 8:31-39)
Lord, help me marvel at and rest in Your might that knows no limit, Your design that orders every boundary, and Your love that knows no bounds.
As the rain and snow 