When The Waves Keep Rolling In
We were at the beach and our 2-year-old granddaughter was working on a “project”. She was moving sand back and forth and to and fro. And as she labored under the bright sun and high clouds, she became increasingly disgruntled with the water that kept lapping at her feet, destroying her work. No matter how frustrated she became and regardless of what she said to those gentle waves, they kept coming. Over and over, rolling in, never ceasing, and leveling everything in their path.
I thought about those waves and how much they are like the problems and trials I’ve experienced in my life. Miscarriage and hemorrhaging, my husband’s liver transplant, open heart surgery, financial stress, the loss of loved ones, and undesired change are just some of the waves that have lapped at my feet, stealing my security and peace. And I know I’m not alone. Everyone experiences waves at some point in their lives. And while some are consequences of sin, many are out of our control and no matter what we say or do, they just keep coming, rolling in, never ceasing, destroying our security and comfort. The waves can level life as we know it and we can grow frustrated and begin to voice our complaints.
Job was a man who was quite secure and comfortable in his life. He was a man blessed with a big family and great wealth. He seemed to have it all. But then the waves came and they kept crashing in, over and over. In one day, he was stripped of his wealth and all 10 of his children were killed by a windstorm. He did nothing to cause the waves and he could do nothing to stop them. They rolled in and life changed as he knew it. His friends came to “comfort” him and offer their explanations and Job presented his case to God.
Our first instinct is to fight the waves, complain about them and become resentful towards them but they are far more powerful than our human strength can bear, easily overwhelming us. In nature, waves can be destructive but they also serve a good purpose. It’s the waves that create the sand beaches we enjoy as the sand is churned up from the ocean floor. It’s the waves that wash and clean the sand. And it’s the waves that shape and smooth the jagged edges of surfaces. Just as the waves serve a good purpose in nature, waves always serve God’s good purpose in our lives. God is sovereign over all things and no matter what happens in the world and in our lives, God remains on his throne and has everything under control. God is the one who tells the waves how far they can go and when to cease.
Our granddaughter learned a valuable lesson in the sand that day. You can’t fight the waves. And who are we to fight God’s power and sovereignty in our lives anyway? Who are we to question his wisdom and goodness? Job discovered that the waves in his life enabled him to see God more clearly. We can take great comfort, just as Job did, that the ONE who allows the waves also controls the waves and uses them to make us more like his Son, Jesus Christ. It’s in the waves of life that I’ve grown to know God better and love him more. It’s waves that have brought me to repentance and cleansing from my sins. And it’s the waves in my life that have shaped and smooth the rough surfaces of my character and have enabled me to trust and obey God more.
It’s the waves that have enabled me, like Job, to say –
2 “I know that you can do anything,
and no one can stop you.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
things far too wonderful for me.
4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak!
I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them.’
5 I had only heard about you before,
but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
6 I take back everything I said,
and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” Job 42:1-6
© 2018 Robin R King
