Floods

“The Lord sat enthroned at the flood; the Lord sits enthroned, King forever. The Lord gives His people strength; the Lord blesses His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:10-11 CSB)

Most people have probably seen pictures of a flood. Probably very few, comparatively speaking, have actually experienced one. A flood touches everything in its path. Nothing is left unscathed. Floods are massive, and, interestingly, they are both destructive and constructive at the same time. They sweep some things away. They also provide avenues for new growth. They are as natural as rain, and trying to control one is a significant undertaking. Most of us just have to look for ways to survive them.

The psalmist spoke of the majesty of God and especially the voice of the Lord in Psalm 29. Because of this majesty those who worship Him all cry, “Glory!” That is when the psalmist adds that God sits enthroned over the flood. That means God is sovereign over such experiences we go through, and throughout the experience He gives us strength and blesses us with peace. Strength and peace from God become our traveling companions through the floods of life when we come to God in faith.

There are days when it feels like a flood of one sort or another has overwhelmed us.

One flood we may go through is loss. Sooner or later we all experience some kind of loss. A child’s pet may die. A man or woman may lose their means of financial support. Someone may lose health with the progress of age. A husband or wife may lose a spouse, or a father or mother a child or vice versa. Loss can be a flood that devastates everything. But God, in His sovereignty, is also the God of redemption who can still use a loss to provide an avenue for something new. And He will strengthen and bless His people with peace.

Another flood we may go through is responsibility or task. It would not seem so until we think about it, but sometimes we can be overwhelmed with “things to do.” Having a great deal of responsibility and more tasks to handle than there is time in the day can produce a great sense of frustration. It can feel the same as a flood. Even in this however, the sovereign Lord can strengthen His people and bless us with peace.

Lord, We thank You that whatever flood we may experience in life, You are able to strengthen us and bless us with peace in spite of it. We ask You to continue strengthening and blessing us. Amen.