The Rising Flood Waters

Do you ever have a verse or chunk of verses that seem like they are fitting for a particular season? They’re the words of encouragement that you can’t seem to get out of your mind?

This has been a particularly stressful and crazy season for me. I’ve constantly felt as though things have been spiraling out of control, despite my best efforts to keep everything neat and orderly and manageable. I’ve felt like, at every turn, the rug was about to be ripped out from under me and that I would end up broken and bruised at the end as a reward for all of my effort.

But the Lord keeps so kindly bringing me back to some verses in Psalms that I know were comforting to the Israelites who heard and read these words.

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
    the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
The Lord gives strength to his people;
    the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Psalm 29:10-11 (NIV)

The Cliff’s Notes version of this, to me, is Trust God. The more that I read these verses, the more a peace just rushes over me.

What I love about these verses is that God doesn’t shame or mock or invalidate what we’re going through. He doesn’t trivialize our struggles or concerns. His care for us is crystal clear. Because he loves us so much, he invites us to have a wider perspective. He wants us to see him in all his grandeur. When we believe he is who he says he is, then we can see the rising flood waters, the chaos around us, and even our own very human fatigue, in a different light.

These verses are a sweet invitation to raise our gaze and look outside ourselves. Our God is so big, so mighty, and so good that we don’t have to worry or be afraid of what’s going on around us. His rule and reign are secure no matter what’s happening down here. He is secure. And, because we are his beloved children, our identity is secure in him. We live in a world of instability, but he is steady and consistent.

And his character is good. We don’t have to worry about him becoming a despot or a tyrant, but can trust that his actions toward us will be good. A ruler with ill-intent wouldn’t give his people strength or peace, they would usurp power and give fear and strife wherever possible. But not our God.

I’m immensely grateful for verses like these that comfort me, widen my perspective, and invite me to lift my gaze above my own situation. Psalm 29 is packed full of truth that we can rest in during even the most hectic of times and the Lord has a character that we can always count on.

What verses have been stuck in your mind recently?

What do you takeaway from Psalm 29?

To go Deeper: Learning to Lie Down, Transition is an Opportunity to Trust