Sea to Shining Sea
In the last month I have visited Prince William Sound in Alaska and Perdido Key, Florida and I can tell you that God’s handiwork is on full display. Those locations are over 4,000 miles apart and the reason behind those travels is the body of Christ. The same can be said for the rest of our travels this Summer. Whether it be Gospel meetings, VBS or camp, the purpose is to worship the Creator. The supernatural outcome of worship is to encourage and to be encouraged by fellow believers. Our goal is to honor God wherever our feet may be and to do that we love those around us (1 John 4:20).
Will has recently been in Africa with his wife, Lynsey, several members of Ben’s family and Highland Park brethren. The group was assisting “Partners 4 Africa”. Thanks to the internet, I’ve seen pictures of lions and elephants from their trip. In Alaska, we saw bears, moose, and a sea lion. There were plenty of seafaring creatures in the oceans to make me a little wary. The beauty of the world also comes with a reminder of the aspects we haven’t been able to control. Despite these and other possible hardships the church is present and often thrives in these locations.
Witnessing these aspects of the world, reminds me of the throne room scene in Revelation 4 (among other places). Whether it is the beauty of the world or throne room scenes, they remind us of God’s beauty, authority and overwhelming nature. We can feel safe in his arms but also be called to be an example during perilous times. As Paul tells us, God is able to equip us with peace in the midst of chaos (Philippians 4:7). This is one of the messages that resounds in Revelation 4 as we see symbols that represent all of Creation honoring the one who sits on the throne. There is one aspect of this scene that I have really connected with recently. In verse 6, John mentions the “sea of glass, like crystal (ESV).”
The smooth, calm and controlled sea near the throne of God brings to mind many Bible stories in which God showed his authority over the untamed, giver and taker of life, water. Even with our technology today there are things about the waters that we don’t know or do not want to mess around and find out about. Yet God shows over and over again he has control over the waves. From Genesis 1 to Revelation, God speaks his authority over the symbol of chaos. He speaks order into existence in the first book of the Bible and removes chaos completely in Revelation 21:1.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. (ESV)”
Each story of God’s ultimate control of water, reveals something about the character of God and can encourage us in different ways. For Noah it was God’s directions that delivered Him. In Exodus it was the final blow to Israel’s fake master. In the Gospels it proclaimed God’s ability to give peace (Matthew 8:23-27) and provide a path to you in your distress (Matthew 14:22-23). In Acts, it brings the Gospel message to Paul’s difficult voyage. God gave us the need for water to survive so we won’t forget we need God to really live.
Travis