The sea is His, for He made it
Psalm 95:5
I’ve always heard people, particularly surfers, talk about “respecting the ocean” and thought to myself — “Oh, ya, sure. Of course you need to respect the ocean.”
But that phrase is taking on new meaning to me.
A friend shared Psalm 95:5 with me last week, and I keep coming back to it, dwelling upon it…
The sea is His, for He made it.
Simple words, but deep and full of meaning.
I’ve been getting out in the water at least 1–2 times per week, and each time is a little different. Some days it’s still, glassy and peaceful. Other days there’s a strong off-shore wind and the spray of the wave hits you hard in the face. And still other days it’s choppy and rough. Some days the swell is huge and others almost non-exsistent. There’s high tide and low tide. Rocks, shells and open beaches. Fisherman and other surfers. Sometimes not a person in sight. There are fish, whales, sharks, dolphins and an endless number of other creatures sharing the water.
When entering the sea, it means choosing to face the elements of God’s creation — all of them. And for me, there’s many days when it is straight up scary. All the same, it keeps me coming back…
There’s something about the sea that draws me in. It’s vast, powerful, peaceful, overwhelming and beautiful all at the same time. And I think it’s verses in Scripture like this one combined with physically experiencing the ocean every day — by sight, smell, sound, taste & touch — that is helping me to understand the richness and depth of respecting the ocean God has made.
Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him? —Mark 4:41
God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. —Genesis 1:10
So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. —Genesis 1:21
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. —Psalm 23:2
If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your right hand shall lead me; and your right hand shall hold me. —Psalm 139:9–10
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. —Isaiah 43:2
He assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command… —Proverbs 8:29
The sea is His, for He made it. — Psalm 95:5
To respect the sea is to respect its depth, power & beauty. To respect the sea is to respect all that it gives life to. To respect the sea is to respect what the waves bring each day. To respect the sea is to respect and delight in how it awakens the senses. To respect the sea is to respect its Creator.
