Yet, Still I Fight!
I gasp for air as my head finally emerges from the frigid waters of the Pacific Ocean. The taste of salt lingers in my mouth as I frantically try to orient myself. But before I can even fully catch my breath, another massive wave looms over me, ready to come crashing down. It’s a frustrating and overwhelming feeling, being at the mercy of the ocean’s powerful currents. The waves toss me about like a ragdoll, making it impossible to discern up from down. Despite this, I refuse to give up the fight.
If you’ve ever swam in the ocean, you know exactly what I’m talking about. That feeling of being held down, wave after relentless wave, is both terrifying and humbling. It’s a reminder that no matter how much we try to control our environment, there are forces beyond our power. But still, we fight. We refuse to let the ocean defeat us, even though we know it could at any moment.
For those who have never experienced the power of the ocean firsthand, I apologize if my illustration seems a bit over your head. Pun intended? Maybe. But regardless, I hope my words have helped you understand just a little bit more about the sheer force and unpredictability of nature.
But here’s the thing. I’m not even talking about the ocean. I’m referring to this morning in my kitchen. As my children came down the stairs. One. By. One. LOL! I’m referring to life! Oh this life.
“…all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,”
Psalm 42:7b-8a
Despite knowing from experience that the harder and longer I fight against the overwhelming force of a wave, the deeper and longer it will hold me down, I still persist. Why? The answer is simple: I am a stubborn person who dislikes submitting to anyone or anything, even God’s sovereign rule over my life. I crave control and authority, and my selfish heart is riddled with the intricate webs of sin.
However, it is important to remember that God is sovereign over the circumstances of our lives, not us. This realization is ultimately a good thing, even though it may be difficult to accept at times. Sometimes God, in His sovereignty, allows trials and challenges into our lives to teach us to submit and to trust Him. These challenges may feel like being held down beneath a wave, but it is only when we learn to submit to their sovereignty that we can be released and finally come up for air.
In fact, the joys that come with submission are woven into the very fabric of creation. It is a beautiful thing when we can learn to relinquish our desire for control and trust in the One who holds all things together. So let us strive to submit to God’s sovereignty, even when it’s difficult, knowing that He is faithful and will always guide us through the storms of life.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
James 1:2-4
In him, with love
mike
P.s.
I’m thankful for God placing trials in my life to help me learn to submit. To help me learn to trust. Most times I need to be held beneath the waves until the point I break, until I learn to trust that submission to God, is not only inevitable, but is actually the only way I have found to keep my head above the water. He gives life. He gives us breathe. You are not that great! Smooches!
“Why are you cast down, o my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”
Psalm 42:5
