AFFLICTED BY THE WAVES? THEN RIDE THEM!

By Angeline M Duran Santiago

Do you have a minute? Can we talk? Where do you find yourself today? Free to be yourself and enjoy each moment, or entangled in the affliction of your thoughts and regrets? If you find yourself numbered with those whose strength is failing, whose faith is withering, and who feel like abandoning ship, you're not only not alone, you've found a good place to read on.

There are so many crying day and night, crying out for mercy, for love, understanding and compassion. It seems unreachable. It seems hope lives in a far away planet the human spirit can never reach.
Psalm 88 describes a heart that is afflicted and crying out to God. The writer here declares his heart feeling afflicted, tormented, and abandoned by everyone, not just his enemies. 

Perhaps this is your story.
I am ready to die from my youth up; while I suffer thy terror I am distracted. (vr.15) You've believe God himself has taken an aim against you to destroy and leave you forsaken. What you're going through is not new. It's been bothering you for years, since you were in your teens. Still carrying the same hurts and fears.

Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. 
They wrath lieth hard upon me, and thous hast afflicted me with all they waves. Selah. (Psalm 88:6-7)

Is this you? Do you find yourself laid out in a dark, inescapable place where the waves keep coming at you, and it feels like you're drowning and cannot get away? Have you cried out, prayed, and given up, surrendered saying, "It's meant to be this way for me."


God hears and answers. He even calms the waves that crash against you. Look at verse 9, Psalm 89: Thou rulest the raging of the sea; when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.

It seems to me that sometimes those waves are just menacing to see if you'll just get up and command them to stop. If God calms the raging sea, he is able to calm the raging sea against you. God can silence the torment against you. He will speak peace into the storm that crashes violently into your mind, your heart and the peace in your spirit. Do you hear the challenge? "Surf's up!"

The Lord of Hosts is by your side to push the rolling waves to the side. It's time to jump the waves and enjoy them, barefoot on the sand as if you were having a great day on the beach. It's time to laugh as they scurry towards your feet and rejoice as they reach up towards your knees. It's time to enjoy the sun shining bright upon your face and allow yourself to crash on to the sand and rejoice in the knowledge that it's not God's will for you to remain in the dark pit, isolated, threatened and imprisoned by fear, doubt, and your past. It's time to suit up and go ride the waves. Stand on top of what tries to consume you. Ride the waves declaring Victory!

photo from Surfersvillage.com
 http://www.surfersvillage.com/node/154266

Although I rarely get to visit the beach, I love walking barefoot on the warm sand, and standing with my kids, watching the foamy waves run towards our feet and then slip away. On a summer day, we'll be daring and challenge the waves that come to a jumping contest, and attempt to jump so high that the waves cannot knock us down. And, on lazier occasions, it's laying down and enjoying the cold rush of waves that scurry towards us. Yet, because we are so far away from the water, it can't pull us away and moves only the sand around us. It is a wonderful sight to enjoy the ocean and it's power. 

My prayer for you today is that you will get your surf board and mount up on the waves shouting and declaring your freedom!
God has a beautiful day prepared for you as well. Will you change your prayer to praise? Will you add thanksgiving to your time of prayer? Do you think you can exchange your cries to the heavens to words of surrender and abandonment to His will, His presence and His perfect way in your life today. The Light is waiting to break through. He has already spoken peace to the waves that afflict you. Now it's up to you to take His hand and try walking on those waves.