Today's Daily Bread
Outside The Boat
Katsushika Hokusai was one of the most prolific and celebrated
artists in Japanese history. Between 1826 and 1833, when he was in his
mid-60s and early 70s, he created his greatest work—a series of color
woodblock prints titled Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji. Among those paintings was his masterpiece: The Great Wave Off Kanagawa.
This painting, created during a time of financial and emotional
struggles for Hokusai, shows a towering wall of water edged with
clawlike foam about to crash down on three slim boats full of rowers.
Psalm 107 also tells a story of people in peril at sea. Afloat on the
waves, “they mount up to the heavens, [and] they go down again to the
depths.” And as a result, “their soul melts because of trouble” (v.26).
Eventually, the sailors send an S.O.S. to God, and He responds by
smoothing out the sea and guiding them to their destination (vv.28-30).
When we face desperate circumstances, we tend to look to other people
for guidance and comfort. They are in the same boat, however—lost in an
ocean of life’s ups and downs. Only God is outside the boat, sovereign,
stable, and strong enough to calm the storms (vv.24-25,29). Facing
trouble? Call on Him!
Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain? —Owens
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain? —Owens
We worship a God who is greater than our greatest problem.
No comments:
Post a Comment