Rolling in the Deep

 

My wife and I watched a short documentary last week about some of the most extreme surfing on the planet.

When a weather bomb hit the coast of Portugal in February 2022, crowds from around the world gathered at the small village of Nazare to witness some of the most world’s most daring surfers come together.

The combination of a weather system in the East Atlantic and Nazare’s natural offshore canyon means that when conditions are right, waves can reach the height of a six story building, and can come hurtling down at 50miles per hour. Some waves have been estimated at 29metres (that’s 89 feet).

The result is just breathtaking, and seeing surfers surf down these massive waves, and then get flung like, you don’t know whether to hail them as a hero, or call them a complete nutter.

It certainly gives you a greater sense of the power of the ocean. It’s not something to be messed with.

In the Bible there is a short poem (actually originally a song) that celebrates God’s amazing power and kingship. Let me read you a couple of verses from it. It is Psalm 93.

3 The seas have lifted up, Lord,
    the seas have lifted up their voice;
    the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
4 Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
    mightier than the breakers of the sea –
    the Lord on high is mighty.

I don’t know if you noticed it, but the striking thing there is that though the sea’s power is immense (with breakers and pounding waves), God is even bigger “Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea, the Lord on High is mighty”.

It’s good to be reminded that just like the sea is to be feared and respected, God is to be feared and respected, you don’t mess with him.

Wonderfully the Bible goes onto tell us that for all his might and power, he is also incredibly gentle, and restrained his power, coming into our world as a tiny baby to reach out to us.

I wonder if you know this mighty yet tender God.

Charlie Newcombe, 01/02/23