the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Daily Devotionals
Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life
Ebb and flow. Two terms used to describe the movement of the earth's oceans during the course of the average day. The process was immortalized in the lines; "First the tide rushes in, plants a kiss on the shore, then rolls out to the sea and the sea is very still once more," from the song "Ebb Tide." But have you ever seen the effects of the flow?
The flow is the high tide that seeks its way inland. At the point of furthest penetration it leaves a line of debris; seaweed, drift wood, shells, etc. It also leaves something else; tide pools. Wherever there is a depression in the sand there is a collection of water that gradually disseminates during the course of the day. The tide pools are reminders of just how high the ocean gets on land before it chases back to low tide.
The depressions that trap these mini bodies of water vary in size. Now and then these tide pools can become rather large and provide a barrier for reaching the waters edge at a beach. Other times they present little if any obstacle to reaching the water. It all depends on how much of a depression is formed by the extreme movement of the water during the day as to how much sand is removed from the beach with the ebb tide.
Each life has an ebb and flow. There are those high water points in life that are absolutely scintillating. They energize us with power through God's Spirit as we feel Him move in our lives. Then there are those ebb tides; those low points that remind us just how frail we can be as humans. We can either look at the debris of life left at the demarcation point for the high times or we can look at the tide pools and remember that God is actually that good to us. Each tide pools leaves a remnant of God's blessing as He gradually dissolves our life into His. Each time the tide pools become larger as we surrender more and more to Him.
" 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' This He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." John 7:37-39 God's intention is for us to finally realize that life is meant to flow constantly like a river rather than ebb and flow like an ocean. Pay attention to your tide pools and learn how deeply God wants your life to flow.
'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' Copyright 2010 © Tom Kelley. 'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' articles may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author at the end of each story, along with their complete bio and a link to https://www.studylight.org/ 2) 'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' content may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.
