Pause

Give me a Jesus who meets me in the rushing, crashing waters of my questions. Let me stand precariously close to the dark and menacing skies of doubt, so I can hear the fierce and gentle loving voice of my Jesus who drowns out my fears and stands just beyond my questions with open arms.

Michael Yaconelli in Dangerous Wonder (1998)

Listen

My whole being is depressed. That’s why I remember you from the land of Jordan and Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep called to deep at the noise of your waterfalls; all your massive waves surged over me. By day the Lord commands his faithful love; by night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.

Psalm 42:6-8

Think

The wave pool at this water park near my childhood home begins as a huge, calm pool. People are scattered throughout like ants at a picnic, just waiting for the buzzer to sound. When it does, a slow brew of waves begins to move through the expansive water. The people rise and fall as this manufactured tidal body picks up steam until waves 15-feet-tall! fall down on those in the pool. (At least, this is how it felt as a kid.) It was a struggle to keep one’s bearings, to remember to breathe, lest you’d be covered up by the waters.

It’s funny, then, when I lay this experience up against what God’s surging waves of love feel like to me and consider how absolutely comforting instead of alarming it is to be engulfed in the love of God. Sometimes our best response to fearing less is loving God more and allowing God’s love to pour over our lives.

Byron Vance

Pray

O Holy God, I need your waterfalls of love to pour over my soul, to coat my heart. Give me the courage I need to stand firm as you fill me with your cleansing waters of love. Amen.

Go

Stay awake that you may see the many ways God is with you each day.