The Power of the Wave

Before I moved to Scotland, where the waters are icy cold, I used to do a little bit of surfing. It’s lots of fun to do and that sensation you get when riding a wave is truly so fantastic it’s hard to describe. One thing I have learnt though: the sea is incredibly powerful. Being on top of a wave, going along with, is a blast. Being underneath a wave isn’t quite as pleasant though. Actually, it can really hurt!

This brings me to think about God’s awesome power and about our need to be going in the direction He is moving. Life can be so great and exciting when we’re moving with Him and living in the power of His Spirit. But if we’re going against Him then we’re opposing the most powerful force in the universe.

Of course there are many ways in which our Father in heaven isn’t quite like a wave, because He’s not inconsiderate, blind and unfeeling like the waves of the sea. However, He is strong, much stronger than the ocean. And He’s made His awesome power available to us! But He has one requirement which we must fulfil in order to be able to use this dynamic power in our lives: we must go in His direction and not our own.

There are different seasons in our life, during which God wants to accomplish different things. So it’s important for us to discern what He’s doing at the present moment in our lives. God doesn’t always tell us clearly, ahead of time, what He’s about to do. There are no set formulas or laws by which we can predict the mind of the Almighty. If we want to keep in step with Him, and keep moving with Him, there’s really only one approach which is going to work: staying in close relationship with Him. We must continually tune in to the Lord, by spending time with Him and time in His Word. Then we can ask Him the hard questions: ‘Lord, what exactly are You doing in my life? What is it You expect of me?’ When our hearts are humble and we behave as a ‘pot’ should before its Maker then He’s sure to guide us in His ways. Then we can enjoy the excitement of ‘riding the wave’ with God.