3The waters have lifted up, O Lord, the waters have lifted up their voice;
the waters have lifted up their pounding waves.
4Mightier than the sound of many waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea,
mightier is the Lord who dwells on high. —Psalm 93:3-4
Being a disaster relief volunteer brings me face to face with what this psalmist is talking about: the mighty waters’ destructive power. Water is life-giving. Our bodies cannot survive without it. And water supports life within itself. But water—big water—has nearly unstoppable force when it gets moving.
The same holds true for that which water can symbolize in scripture: troubles, struggles, pain, grief, sin—all those things that would drive us to despair. The weight of these things can be overwhelming. The psalmist felt that, or at least spoke it for the people.
But then we are reminded that there is something—that is someone—mightier than even the big water of all these things: the Lord! The Lord brings relief and hope, just like breakers along the shore control the waves and keep them from overwhelming the shores. Our God is stronger that the big water and will guard our hearts and souls and minds from the flood of despair that threatens to overwhelm us.
Thanks be to God for the mighty Lord, Jesus, who has broken the power of sin and despair and offered us protection from the big waters. Be encouraged today that you are seen, loved, and protected by our Mighty God.