Wind and Waves

Wind and Waves

I still see residue of the wind storm we experienced now a few weeks back – July 31.  What damage!  Now these very days the south is begging for an end to the rain and the west is begging for rain as they fight wild fires. O, the power of nature!  And mankind has NO control over the wind or the waves – NONE!  But, one Man did and does!!

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”  Mark 4:39-41

And:  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them,”Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind  ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.” Mark 6:48-51

Not only does He command the wind to stop but He exercises authority over the waves by walking on them!!  Go, Jesus!  

In fact, the wind and waves – along with storms, thunder, hail and quakes – are all controlled by God and used by God.  The wind and waves are His servants. Consider…

Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed  by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; I Kings 19:11

Now that is some wind followed by a shaking of the earth!

Then there was Jonah, running from the Lord, who had wind and waves change his direction:  But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up, Jonah 1:4.  You remember he was pitched overboard and had a fish ride.

Then there was the mighty pharaoh who was large and in charge; at least he thought so along with many of his subjects until God acted: The Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire darted to the ground. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt, so there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, so very heavy that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.  Exodus 9:23-24

A few months later the Jews were reminded who their God was at Mt. Sinai:  Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.  Exodus 20:18

And speaking of thunder, how’d you like to hear this outburst? The Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel, I Samuel 7:10.  And again: The Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel, I Samuel 12:18.

And one of my favorites:  The Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword, Joshua 10:11.  God was throwing “rocks.”

And the return of Jesus to earth will be preceded with a great display of God’s control and use of thunder, quakes and hail. Then the temple of God was opened in heaven…and there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail, Revelation 11:19.  And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.  Revelation 16:21

So there it is: God rules the wind and waves for His usage and for His glory: The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is over many waters, Psalm 29:3.