Put you in your place.

Scripture:

Psalm 104:5-9

5 You set the earth on its foundations,

so that it shall never be shaken.

6 You cover it with the deep as with a garment;

the waters stood above the mountains.

7 At your rebuke they flee;

at the sound of your thunder they take to flight.

8 They rose up to the mountains, ran down to the valleys

to the place that you appointed for them.

9 You set a boundary that they may not pass,

so that they might not again cover the earth.

Observation:

God, our Father, is the mightily wise creator and ruler of all that is.

In ancient near-middle-east cultures, waters -especially "the deep"- was shorthand for chaos, destruction, and ultimately, death.

Here Creator God is celebrated for shackling chaos; for placing term limits upon destruction; and, for putting death in its place. These forces run down from the high places (the proper dwelling places of gods and God) and thus humble themselves before God. Note: chaos, destruction and death are not here themselves destroyed. For we know to well that they still enjoy a foot hold in our earthly experience. Yet, the promise is clear: all powers, all situations and all creatures are subject to the just and merciful rule of the LORD.

Application:

Today I am going with my family to a park on the banks of the mighty Peace River in northern Alberta. The kids will not swim in the river as it is full of eddy's and a fairly wicked undertow. This same river that appears as silky blue ribbon bisecting two sides of a creatively carved valley from atop the Dunvegan bridge, always holds some potential for destruction, chaos and even death. This is doubly true in times of flood or storm when the river seems intent upon transgressing its banks.

I suppose I would avoid such places altogether - like a creepy old abandoned house or a radiation contaminated work site - except for the promise of the Gospel, the good news that predates but is fulfilled in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus the Christ.  

The promise is this: All will bow and submit to the gracious 

authority of the Holy Three in One. That means you, meta-

static cancer; and you, debilitating nerve wasting disease; 

and you, wagers of war; and you, practitioners of hatred; 

and you, horders of resources; 

and all y'all flood, fire, drought, quake and storm!

Today, and everyday, it is this Good News that propels me to the edge of the deep, to the darkened ally, to the stinking landfill and beyond. For there is no place where God is not. No! There is no God forsaken place.

How about you? Where do you have the hardest time 

believing that God is actively present?

Prayer:

Under the care of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit

I am bold to press beyond fear, past anger, into sadness. For you, O LORD, are God of Up, God of Down, God of East, South, West and North, God of chaos, destruction and death, God of Justice and Mercy. I submit. Grant me grace to stay within the boundaries you have assigned me. Amen.