The Cleansing Sound of the Ocean

I had been teasing Olivia for about a week before we left for vacation that “the waves come in, the problems go out”.   We would laugh and breathe looking forward to a week at the beach. As I am sitting here in my favorite place on the balcony overlooking the ocean I see God doing just that…the waves come in, the problems go out. 

Listening to the sound of the waves and seeing the vast blue ocean coming in and rolling out, you can’t deny there is something about the majesty of the water. Something about the endless life that exists in that water that no one can control but God. No one tells the sea how to act, no one can control the sea, no one can master it. In its own way it gives and takes away. Many men have taken on the challenge and lost.

There is only one man I know of that could. He stood up in that boat and calmed the Sea, He walked out on top of  the water to the boat with His Disciplest….and if we get right down to it, it was created by Him and For Him.  Why is that so amazing to me. Because this world has its own set of rules we live by whether it is socially, governing, or family. People are always hungry for power and control. Not only do they want to control their surroundings but also those around them. They even have the audacity to set rules that God has no part of and we have to follow them.  

But, what if we decided to live by a new set of rules in life. This new life in our hearts that would allow us to “render to Caesar what is Caesar’s” and give to God what is most precious, our heart.  What if, by heart design we decided to live “walking on the water?” We allowed God, the only one who really has this world in the palm of his hand the opportunity to rule in reign in our hearts and in our actions.  What perspectives would change? What part of our life would change?

I have started that challenge to do just that in my life recently. My husband started teaching on ‘hearing God” in our Sunday school class about a year ago.  What I didn't realize is I knew the things he was teaching but I hadn't been walking it out in a very long time. I had to take the time to truly listen to God, inclining my ear to hear Him, in everything in my life. I will say that if you take that challenge, be ready to do battle because everything in the world will hit you to keep you from engaging with God in a deeper way. The freedom to walk with God when you are not only talking, but listening constantly changes your perspective.

One of those changes for me is writing.  I have been giving up on it for some time but God has really been impressing me to write again.  Now I know what to write.  Learning how to “Listen to God”.  Setting our hearts and ears to hear that “still small voice” and then acting upon it.  Challenging my thinking to be “counter intuitive” to the obvious and yield to the Holy. It’s not easy, the journey is hard….but then again, the things you take away are immeasurable.  Walking with God on the beach, you start to believe anything is possible with God. My new challenge...posting again every week!