TRULY AWESOME

Others went out to the sea in ships… They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep. For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths. Psalm 107:23-26a (NIV)

 

The bridge of a submarine is low to the water. For safety reasons, a submarine normally runs on the surface during a storm. The Officer of the Deck and two lookouts must be on the bridge while everyone else is safely below decks. For the 4 hours of their watch they face the onslaught of huge wave after wave, 20 feet high or more, coming at them incessantly. The bow rises dramatically as the crest of the wave passes it. Then the wave crashes over the bridge where the crew is huddled under cover, and finally the bow plunges into the trough for the next wave.

 

Who can spend even a fraction of a 4-hour watch in a storm at sea and not be awed at the power of God? Such an experience makes the doubts of a theoretical skeptic seem ludicrous. The remainder of Psalm 107 gives other examples: the wanderer in a desert wasteland, the thirsty and hungry, the prisoner sitting in darkness and the rebellious fool. In each case, this awesome God rescues those who turn to Him. The Psalmist tells us how to respond to this awesome love? “Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men. Let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.” (Psalm 107:32-33)

 My awesome God, You are truly worthy of all my praise!  Amen

 

©2019 Parker Wayland