SEA & BIRDS!

My wife and I took a short vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina this past weekend. We stayed in a beach front hotel. The weather was not summer like; maybe because it is almost November! Two distinct thoughts occured during those two days.



There was a storm off shore. The waves were reaching 7 to 10 feet in height. It ocean was troubled and angry. I was reminded of a verse in the book of Job when God confronts Job and his three "comforters." Job and his friends thought they had things pretty well figured out regarding the workings and ways of God; as have I during times of confidence and strong faith. I have even at times told God how He could, or worse yet, should do something! As I watched the violent waves I realized how this was a perfect example of the majesty and power of God, even when it is restrained. At the end of his grevious trial, God ask Job and his friends if they were there when He created the mighty oceans and set bars, or limits to how far they could go. These four men spoke as if they knew every working of God and had explainations for them all.



God put them in thier place in short order by His probing and revealing questions to them. Just as the mighty ocean, in all of its anger is restrained, so the enemy of our soul is also restrained by our Father. Our trials can go so far, and no farther. God has set a limit to this also.



As I was standing on the balcony of the hotel around sunrise yesterday morning, with the wind blowing around 30 miles per hour, I saw huge sea birds moving up the shore line. What was amazing is that in this powerful wind, they were not even flapping or moving their wings! They were riding the currents, and it looked like they were enjoying themselves.



A gentle thought came to me that I should be like those birds. I heard a tender soft voice in my spirit telling me to watch the birds. I felt that as long as I stay in the current of the Spirit of God through prayer, reading His word and living in a way pleasing to Him, I can withstand any strong storm that comes my way.




The storms that have come upon our nation recently will surely intensify. But, as long as we remember that God has set a limit to how far the violent and stormy waves can come upon our shores. He will always give us the ability to navigate and successfully ride the stormy winds as long as we stay in Him. What we are facing as individuals and as a nation are not a summer day at the beach full of relaxation and leisure. But, no matter the gales that blow upon us, we have great confidence that we can, and will, mount up on wings as eagles. He who has promised is Faithful and True.




His children will not beg for bread. We can be happy and satisfied with shelter, food and clothing. We have to remember that this is more than the majority of the world has ever had. The LORD makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters.