pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: ocean


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Drawing Close

Reading: Psalm 121

Psalm 121:2 – “My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.”

We live in a world that is busy and noisy. Information flows at an unprecedented rate and volume. And it is at our fingertips. While this makes it easy to find the right recipe or the needed product, it also feeds us unwanted suggestions and brings other voices into our minds. There are often times when we intentionally shut the world out, turning off the TVs and laptops, silencing the phones. Often, in these intentional moments, we are reminded of God’s continuing presence and power.

Psalm 121 is a scripture that can bring us to that place. The psalmist frames their thoughts with a familiar question: Where will my help come from? The author answers this question about God in the next verses. Here we are first reminded that our help comes from “the maker of heaven and earth.” Help comes in the form of protection – from slipping up, from the elements of nature, from the evils of this world. This helper is always present too, because God “never sleeps or rests.” Our God will protect us and will help us “whether coming or going” and will do so “from now until forever from now.” That, my friend, is eternity.

Sometimes, though, it can be hard or challenging to feel or even to enter into God’s presence. Sometimes it takes an intentional effort. For me, one place that I can usually “find” God’s presence is in the creation. To be physically present in the hills or at the ocean or under the stars, these are places where the world becomes still so that I can draw close to the creator. How and where do you draw close to God?

Prayer: Dear maker of all creation, draw me close today – close to you, close to the earth, close to those created in your image. In and through these gifts that you made, help me to know and love you even more. Fill me with your love and send me into your world, sharing that love in all ways possible. Amen.


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Pause, Praise, Worship

Reading: Psalm 104: 24-30

Verse 30: “When you send your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth”.

Photo credit: Frank McKenna

Psalm 104 is about the marvelous created works of God. The psalmist rejoices in the wonder of the created world, as we perhaps often do. Our section for today focuses on the vast number of creatures, specifically those in the seas. The Psalm describes the waters as “teeming” with life. To connect with this image and idea, imagine standing on the shore of the ocean and having each unique creation introduce its kind one at a time. You or I would stand there on the seashore for many days. Scientists estimate that there are about 225,000 known species in the oceans (plus an estimated two million unidentified species too). For just the known species, thirty second introductions done 24/7 would take about eighty days (80). Does that not hint at God’s incredible creative power?

Life for each and every one of these creations comes from God, as does their daily provision. Not only that, but the life within each rests with God. When it is taken away, they too return to dust. The cycle of life and creation is continually in motion. In verse thirty we read, “When you send your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth”. Over and over the cycle of life continues, ever guided by God. We can, of course, see ourselves in this cycle as well. Our very life, our daily bread – all dependent upon God, all blessings from God. Today may we pause and take in the simplicity of all this. May our response to the incredible God who also knows the number of hairs on our head be joyful praise and grateful worship. May it all be so.

Prayer: Lord, I know I am wonderfully made. Yes, far from perfect, yet wonderfully made and deeply loved. I rejoice in my place in your family and as a part of your creation. May all I do and say today bring you the praise and glory. Amen.


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Praise the Lord!

Reading: Psalm 148

Verse 14: “He has raised up for his people a horn”.

As we begin the week leading into Christmas, we begin with a beautiful Psalm that calls all of creation to praise the Lord. The psalmist begins by inviting the heavens – angels and the rest of the heavenly host – to praise the Lord. From there he invites the sun, moon, and stars to join the chorus of praise. And then the writer adds the “waters above the skies” into the choir. All are invited to praise the Lord because “he commanded and they were created”.

Beginning in verse seven the psalmist turns to the things of the earth itself. First, he invites the creatures of “all ocean depths” and then calls the lightning, hail, snow, clouds, and wind to join in. Continuing on with the created world the psalmist invites the mountains and hills, the plants, animals, and birds to add their voices to the chorus of praise to the Lord. All of the choir is now assembled, save one. Beginning in verse eleven the psalmist calls for all of humanity to sing out their praises to the Lord. From kings and princes to young men and maidens to old men and children, the psalmist declares, “let them praise the name of the Lord”. All of humanity joins all of creation in praising the Lord “for his name alone is exalted”.

In verse fourteen we get to the culminating point. The world and universe created by the Lord has been assembled. Because all has been created by the Lord, all are connected to the Lord. This very connection calls forth our praise. Yet in the earthly, created sense all of this is temporary. Even the stars and mountains, those things that seem timeless to us, even these will fall from the sky and will fall into the sea. In verse fourteen the psalmist writes, “He has raised up for his people a horn”. The horn is the horn of salvation. The horn connects you and me and all of creation to the eternity of God. The horn of salvation is Jesus Christ the Lord and he alone offers salvation. Jesus offers us salvation from the chains of both sin and death. Freed from all that binds, we are made brothers and sisters in Christ, freed to raise our voices to the one who saves. Freed and created, we will one day raise our voices as we gather around the throne. One day we will offer our praise to the Lord face to face with glory itself. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord, what a way to begin the week we celebrate the birth of your son, the horn of salvation! All praise to you, the Lord of all. May all I do and say today bring you the glory! Amen.


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He is That Big

Standing on a beach, looking out across the ocean, it seems like you can see forever.  Despite our natural vision ending at the horizon, we  know the ocean goes on.  It extends beyond what we can see yet we know there is more out there.

If one just stays still and looks out across the water, all else seems to disappear.  We loose sense of the breeze and the warm sand and even of the waves landing on the beach.

As we look out into our faith and look out to find God, one begins to sense something like the ocean.  Our faith can be as vast as the ocean.  Our faith can have no visual end.  Our God is that big.

Yet in that vastness we can find God at any point or at any place.  When the waves of life start landing on our shores, we can find God.  When the breezes start to toss us about, we can look into our faith and draw near to God.  When the sand beneath our feet start to shift and seem to be getting unstable, we can seek God out.  Our God is that big.  He is always everywhere and anywhere to uplift, to encourage, to comfort, to heal, to call us forward, to call us out, to cleanse us of our sins, to love us.  Our God is that big.  Thanks be to God!!