By The Sea

The first week of September we enjoyed a vacation at the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  The first few days, the ocean was calm and warm.  Notice how few waves are in the photo I took.  It was lovely to wade on a long sandbar and relax in the soothing water.  Although we were not on a ship, I did think of the words of the Psalmist because we too saw the wonder of the Lord as we gazed across the great expanse of Atlantic Ocean in front of us:

"Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business

 on great waters, they see the works of the Lord, and

 His wonders in the deep" Psalm 107:23-24

 

Around the middle of the week, the water got rougher, as you can see in this photo.  Red flags went up and swimming was no longer allowed, although surfers were out enjoying the bigger waves.  It was pretty to see the white ruffles of waves following one another to the shoreline, ending in a wide froth of foam.

 

"Thus says the Lord, who makes a way through the sea

 and a path through the mighty waters" Isaiah 43:16

 

 

The Saturday we were going to leave and go home, the ocean was very rough, what I call "boiling."  Wave after powerful wave crashed along the sandy shoreline.  It was beautiful!  Surfers were out in force, but even they had difficulty battling the strong pull of the water.  And to think -- God holds all of that mighty force in the palm of His hand as if it were no more than a droplet of water.  He is awesome!!

 

"'Do you not fear Me?' says the Lord. 'Will you not tremble at

 My presence, Who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea,

 by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it?  And

 though its waves toss to and fro, yet they cannot prevail; though

 they roar, yet they cannot pass over it'" Jeremiah 5:22

 

 

I thought these three little kids looked cute as they sat just above the waterline in their life vests, watching the amazing power of the ocean pounding at their feet.  It was a very good thing that God only allowed the waves to go so far and no further.  Though they roared, they could not reach the children.  Praise God for His protection!

 

"The sea is His, for it was He who made it, and

His hands formed the dry land" Psalm 95:5