Psalm 93 - When the Waters Roar

Summer in the Psalms

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There's no better way to beat the Summer heat than with a splash. But, sometimes we get more than a splash. We get a wave or waves of chaos.

My good friend, Valerie Ellis, is sharing her reflection of Psalm 93 with us today and reminding us of the stark contrast between chaos and Christ and the invitation that awaits us in these inconvenient and overwhelming waters.

Valerie Ellis loves helping kids and parents connect with God and each other in the everyday moments. She is an author, speaker, and founder of Our Everyday Parables, a multi-author online resource with book reviews and ideas for families pursuing faith and compassion. A certified teacher with countless hours in ministry, Valerie writes books that serve kids at the intersection of faith and fun. Her latest book is Wild Faith Devotional for Kids: 52 Amazing Animals That Point to One Great God. Connect with Valerie online at valerieellis.com and oureverydayparables.com or on Instagram at @iamvalerieellis.

Ah, summer! Summer brings many joys, but for Houstonians like me, summer is also synonymous with hurricane season. I remember as a girl, moving all my little trinkets and toys from the windowsill when a hurricane would threaten. More recently during Hurricane Ike, my very pregnant friend and I hunkered down at her mom’s house while our husbands were out of town and the storm roared overhead. And a few years later, my family watched unthinkable flood waters rise during the deluge of Hurricane Harvey.

Hurricanes are not only powerful, they famously keep us guessing. They can turn at a moment’s notice, slow down, speed up—the picture of unpredictability. Sadly, sometimes our lives feel like hurricanes as instability and confusion seem to swirl without end.

In times like these, Psalm 93 is a particular comfort. It calls out God’s permanence, strength, and majesty, declaring:

·      In v 1, the world is established, firm and secure

·      And in Verse 2, God’s throne is established, that God is from all eternity

·      In the last verse, verse 5, the writer proclaims: the Lord’s statutes stand firm and holiness adorns God’s house.

But what happens between verse 2 and verse 5? Chaos.

The psalmist describes mounting waves, crashing waters—the seas lifting up their voice.

To the ancients, the seas often symbolized chaos. Even today, the oceans are a powerful unknown.

But God is greater!

Three times in verse 3, the psalmist exclaims that the water is lifted up. Three times in verse 4, the water is answered with the Lord’s might. It reads:

The seas have lifted up, Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea— the Lord on high is mighty. - Psalm 93:3-4

You see, chaos cannot overpower our God.

We find ourselves in a world where it often feels like nothing stands firm—trends change as fast as lightning, promises are broken, the things we buy seem made to break down and wear out, and even some of the closest relationships don’t stand the test of time.

I see it in my own life too:

·      I set out to worship but am interrupted by all my worries.

·      I start to walk the path of obedience, but this tumultuous life seems bent on knocking me into the nearby mud.

And yet in all of this, God is greater. God is for us. This psalm offers a beautiful picture of a steady, strong God, a God who is with us in the storm. A Savior who calls us to live for what is beyond the storm. In fact, we get to live for what is beyond even the peaceful shores of this world. We have another home and a greater purpose.

When I train my eyes on God in the midst of the rough waves, I see the stark contrast between chaos and Christ. And that contrast reminds me what I’m really living for. It fills me with the assurance that my hope rests on the eternal one, the one who stands firm, the one who has given us the gift of His presence, both here on earth and in the world to come.

If chaos has lifted up its voice in your life, remember God’s might and His great love for you.

Now, It's Your Turn!

I challenge you to take a moment to pray, then read or listen to Psalm 93 today. Think about what stands out to you. Consider writing down a statement of faith. It may help to think of this as an I-statement. Maybe yours is similar to Valerie's:

When I train my eyes on God in the midst of the rough waves, I see the stark contrast between chaos and Christ. And that contrast reminds me what I’m really living for. It fills me with the assurance that my hope rests on the eternal one, the one who stands firm, the one who has given us the gift of His presence, both here on earth and in the world to come.

Then, jot down a question to think about today. Maybe yours is similar to Valerie's:

What form of chaos has lifted up its voice in my life today? I can choose to remember God’s might and His great love for me through this.

May this reflection lead our hearts to gratitude and praise today and may we stand in victory against the tactics and schemes of the enemy.

And praise God for refreshment as we are intentional to spend a summer in the Psalms together, for if we want His truth to ever be on our lips, it must first be planted in our hearts.

Our strength grows as we rely on strength from above. Our joy grows as we see God transforming us from the inside out. Our peace grows as we spend time in God's presence, and we find rest when we intentionally seek the Lord first in our lives, for the Lord is ever our portion.

The good life, well it starts with a good day. Then another. Then another. Let's choose to live #TheGoodDay one day at a time.