The heart of man is
Very much like the seas,
It has its storms,
It has its tides
And in its depths
It has its pearls too.
Vincent van Gogh
I discovered the above quote from The Letters of Vincent van Gogh and was struck by the profound message hidden in its simplicity. A recent trip to the coast inspired similar thoughts as I gazed at the ocean with its constant ebb and flow of tides. At high tide the water is rough and choppy as it encroaches on the sandy beach. I notice when my heart is troubled my life mirrors the image of a high tide. Relationships become rough and strained, thoughts become choppy, and my world becomes smaller much like the beach. Eventually low tide makes an appearance and I am blessed with calm waters. I can clearly see obstacles as they protrude from the tranquil waters around me. At low tide the beach is larger as is my world. There is room in my life to build strong relationships that will help me weather the challenges of high tide.
Staring at the ocean I was mesmerized by the constant roll of the waves, each one different from the previous one. High tide or low tide I know that God never changes. His love and compassion are constant. Circumstances may change with the tides and each roll of the waves but God is the solid rock of my salvation.
The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation. – Psalm 18:46 (ESV)
Gravitational forces between the sun, earth, and moon may cause the tides to change but God put them in place. As Jeremiah states, “Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar — the Lord of hosts is his name.” – Jeremiah 31:35 (ESV)
Simple Faith 