The Noise of Many Waters

The catastrophic destruction left behind in the wake of Hurricane Harvey’s wrath has provoked a renewed appreciation for the force of wind, the power of the ocean, and the accumulative effects of rain. However, the profound revelation of the hearts of people reaching out to help those in need has proven wonderful medicine for a heartsick society. The same people that ignored each other at Walmart a week earlier, the same people that had nothing to say to each other not long ago, found unity and strength together in the midst of tragedy. More than that, this historic storm has provoked Christian hearts to action, to reach out in love to their fellow man and to bind congregations together in bearing the burden of feeding and housing those in need, cleaning and repairing those areas hardest hit, and giving to relieve the burden on those most affected. As noted in Psalm 93, all this is completely appropriate for a people who know the LORD.

The LORD created this world and still reigns over it. Every aspect of creation declares this still. Indeed, creation acts as evidence of His grandeur and His rule. The power and beauty of creation are far more glorious than the ornamentation of Versailles or the throne room of Buckingham Palace. By these things the LORD wears a robe of majesty that shows the power of His rule by the unmoving, unyielding nature of creation itself (Psa. 93:1). Indeed, despite how nature’s destructive forces can wreak havoc on the works of men, they do nothing but confirm the power of God as His creation goes on, seemingly unaffected by the worst that man can handle. In this there is confirmation once more to confess to God, “Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting” (Psa. 93:2). Therefore, no matter what may happen upon this earth, no matter how great the destruction or how great the tragedy, our God still reigns. He is still our King! As such, every word He has spoken is proven true and worth our attention. He is distinct and holy in every way, and everything shows it. He is Yahweh, the One who is and must be, the One who is there for us (Psa. 93:5).

This remains true in the midst of hardship and tragedy as much as it does in times of goodness and plenty. When destruction, famine, or pestilence strike, when disease or misfortune fall upon you, you have a God who is there for you, who cares for you, and who reigns over you and all that you face. The psalmist knew this; he saw it; he felt it. And his words reveal the heart that we ought to share. “The floods have lifted up, O LORD, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves. The LORD on high is mightier Than the noise of many waters, Than the mighty waves of the sea” (Psa. 93:3-4). And let all the church say, “Amen!”