By Katy Mariotti

And Yet He Loves Us

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul!
    O Lord my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
    covering yourself with light as with a garment,
    stretching out the heavens like a tent.
He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
    he rides on the wings of the wind;
 he makes his messengers winds,
    his ministers a flaming fire.”
Psalm 104:1-4 English Standard Version

I love the ocean. I’m sure I’ve said it before. Living in a landlocked state, it’s become a problem: anywhere we think of to take our family vacation pales in comparison to some location on the ocean. This year was no exception; we just got back from a trip to the San Francisco area.

When I’m standing on the beach I like to go put my feet right near the edge. Sometimes the waves come right to my toes, and I like to think that the ocean is saying hello to me. I like to think that as much as I love the ocean, that pull I feel to it, it loves me back. It brings a wave right up to my toes to say, “hello, nice to see you.”

Those of you who are familiar with the ocean know what I’m about to say. The ocean doesn’t love me. The ocean doesn’t care. That sweet little wave that comes right to my toes will then the next time be a bigger wave that almost knocks me over. Or one that sends seaweed to wrap around my feet or shells for me to step on. Without exaggeration, I say that the ocean will just as soon kill you as send a little wave to say hello.

I have a healthy fear of the ocean’s power. And our God, He is bigger than that. He created the ocean. As Psalm 104 says, He “rides on the wings of the wind.” I speak for myself, but maybe sometimes you too turn God into a pocket God. Someone small and cute that we can pull out when we need Him. But a God bigger and more powerful than the oceans? No wonder God is spoken of so often in the Bible with the word “fear.”

And that God… the one who could knock us down easily, loves us. Loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us. Maybe it’s comforting to sometimes pull out our pocket God, and maybe that’s not a bad thing. But wow, the awesome power of knowing a God who is so big, so powerful, and who loves each and every one of us. Amen!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado