Lord's Day Devotion - Wave After Wave

Have you ever witnessed, in real life or viewed a movie, where there's a violent storm out at sea?  The ships are assailed and tossed wildly about with waves smashing into them and onto them.  Wave after wave relentlessly crashing and crashing.  If anyone must venture out on deck, he must cling for dear life not to be treacherously flung overboard to a most likely untimely fatal fate.  The sailors brace themselves, doing their utmost to keep their boat afloat and themselves on board; some cursing, some praying, or a little bit of both, for calmer seas.

Life can be much like this.  No sooner is one trial or temptation seemingly overcome, then another arises in its place.  Some of these are great and furious 'waves' which roil over us; tsunamis which take the wind right out of our sails.  Wave after gigantic wave of trial and tribulation smashing and clutching at us.

"Oh Lord, why me!?"  Or "Not again!" we cry out to God.  "Where are You?  My God of compassion?  Don't You care?" we may implore.

The Psalmist pleads,

"O my God, my soul despairs within me...deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls, all Your breakers and waves have rolled over me..." (Psalm 42:6 & 7 Berean Study Bible).

Cry out in our desperation, to Him.

We don't always know the why's and wherefore's of our trials and difficulties of life but we need to hang on and cling to Jesus as those 'waves' pound over us, hanging tight in faith, that He is doing some good work in our life; even if just to sure up or expand our faith.  Will we trust Him in the bad times as well as the good?  This may sound cliche, but I have personally found that He will find a way to commune with us.  

Jesus suffered severely on our behalf; "all the waves and billows had gone over Him" (Psalm 42:7 KJV).  Think of how He was treated during His earthly walk:  scoffed at; NOT believed in despite all the prophesies pointing to Him and being fulfilled by Him; despite the many miracles and His compassion and kindness to the crowds in general and the individuals in particular, and so on.

Betrayal.  Arrest.  Insults mounted against insult.  False accusations.  Beatings.  Mockery.  The final coup d'etat, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, God's Son.  God's Son!  All this at the hands of mankind to whom He came to save.  

In addition to the the physical punishment at the hands of men, God placed all the condemnation and punishment for sins upon Jesus, that actually belonged to each and every one of us who believe.  That was pure agony for Him as our sin separated Him from His Father, God.  This was God's Way of atonement for our sin; the incessant waves and billows upon Jesus, for our sake. 

This is what we commemorate each Lord's Day.  Atonement and forgiveness of sins.  No more condemnation.  No longer guilty in God's eyes.  Followers of Jesus, thank Him every time you partake of the bread and wine, pause and consider as you pass them along to one another.

Like God's promise to Noah and the generations who came afterwards,

"For this is like the days of Noah to me, as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you and will not rebuke you..." (Isaiah 54:9-10 ESV).

No more condemnation.  How sweet the sound. 

Keeping this in mind, realize that wave after wave of full-force trouble may come, not as punishment,  but with a mind set free from the guilt of our previously lost condition, our heart, soul, strength and mind can fix steadfastly upon Christ and His Word.   'Grip him' resolutely so we can triumphantly withstand the gale force winds and waves our lives repeatedly encounter.

                                                  ~ERC  November 2019~

A traditional hymn When Upon Life's Billows

Shout to the Lord; Hillsong sung by Darlene Zschech