Tides and Tidal Waves
“Open the gates and let your glory come down, open our hearts and let our worship pour out, come flood this place, come have your way”
These lyrics rang in my hearts as I thought about the way God’s glory floods from the heavens.
We used to play a game growing up. It involved a series of seemingly meaningless questions. Your favorite animal, favorite color, favorite body of water… and what those things made you feel. Then it was revealed that the answers actually linked to a way deeper question. Now I do not know the validity behind these conclusions, but I did find it fascinating. To the questions of favorite body of water, I would reply ocean. And as to how it makes me feel, I would say calm and small. That oceans felt vast and powerful. Unknowable almost in their mystery.
What was the link to this question and answer? Supposedly the characteristics that you liked about this particular body of water was also the way that you viewed God.
Interesting.
And honestly, this feels very valid.
God can be like a stream, steady and constant. Or like a river, strong and powerful. But to me He is an ocean. Seemingly calm and beautiful, but with a power that is barely contained.
Imagery of oceans were coming to my head as I was praying this week. For so long I thought of God’s process in our lives like the tide. Slow and steady and consistent. The tide rises and lowers every day, but as it is happening it is barely noticeable. Unless you come back hours later, you never notice the drastic difference in the level of the water. If you stand on shore, you can feel the waves lapping at your feet and receding. Gently washing your feet. Every once in awhile, a strong wave will come and take you by surprise, but then it recedes again.
And that is often how I view God’s approach to sanctification. He will roll in gently and get your attention, and then slowly recede. Over and over. Rising over time so the water covers more and more of your feet and ankles. Gradually washing over your legs. But in a slow and controlled way. A logical and methodical way. And at times I talk myself into thinking that prayer is necessary because God works as He wants to. Steady and consistent. No one can influence the tides coming in or coming out. And that is how I let myself view God. A God that would do what He wanted, in His way. Slow, gently, almost unobtrusively.
And yes, that is often how God works. He is patient with us. His sanctification is a slow and consistent process. He is in no rush.
But there is another side of the ocean. There is a power and intensity that isn’t talked about as much. You don’t necessarily want to see if while you are on a beach vacation. But it’s there.
And today I want to remember that characteristic of God. God is fury and power. He is strength and force. He is the majestic, all powerful God of the universe. It is awesome and terrifying. He graciously holds back the extent of His wrath as well as His Holiness. Why? Because He knows we can’t handle seeing it all at once. He gives us glimpses in His grace.
But I want to remember that God is more than I am able to see. He is more than He has revealed to us so far.
And that should motivate and inform our prayer. We can pray for big things. Because God can do that. Those people that you have been praying for. Yes, He has probably been whispering to them for longer than you have been asking Him to. But He can also sweep into their life like a tidal wave, changing everything in an instant. He can bring them to their knees in awe and surrender in a breath.
Do we believe that? Do we pray like that?
He will do what He sees fit. And it is good and perfect. He is patient that all might come to salvation. But He is also a force to be reckoned with. He is not at a stalemate with the enemy. They are not evenly matched.
God is in the business of transformation. He can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine. He already is, be assured of that.
But pray as if your prayer will change everything. Because that will help you believe that God can change everything. Because He can. And believing that will only increase your faith more and more.
God is unchangeable. He has been the same yesterday, today, and forever. But prayer changes us. Prayer rooted in truth and big beliefs are scary, but transforming.
I challenge you to pray big prayers. Or keep praying those prayers that you feel too tired to pray anymore. Because God might not alter His answer plan (although He might). But He will increase your faith.
Just as a tidal way can change the whole shore. God is bringing transformation. Do you believe it?
