Waves

A few years ago some friends and I took a road trip from Oregon down to San Diego. We drove through all the major cities in California and made our way to the beach. Once in San Diego we relaxed by the beach. This was August 2004. Weeks before I had said goodbye to my crazy life in New York and was enjoying just being a teenager on a summer break. My new life in Los Angeles was about to begin. As the sun grew hotter, my friends and I made our way out into the ocean. With no surfboards of our own we decided to make the best of the waves and body surf. After riding each wave I grew more and more confident. I swam further and further out into the ocean to catch the bigger waves. Confident in my skills I took on an enormous wave. This wave swallowed me up. For seconds that felt like hours I tumbled around in the wave unable to breath. The fear of drowning overcame me and I wondered if I should just give up. Was this how I was supposed to go? We are all given the chance to fight or to give up. Life is like an ocean. Hard times come in waves. Some waves we can ride out while others feel like they are bringing us down. We have a God who can calm a storm with a word. Do you trust him enough to save you from a wave?
DAILY VERSE"I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people." -Leviticus 26:12 / (NLT) DEVOTIONALWhat deep waters of tragedy and sorrow do you face? You are not alone--God is with you, and he will not let you go under. What fire licks at your heels? Keep walking--God will shield you from the flames.