Life has a way of reminding you that you are not in control. At any moment, all your well-thought-out plans can crash around you in an instant. Just like a surfer, one minute you are riding the waves of life. The next thing you know, you are thrashing around under the water, fearing you will drown.
Crashing and Thrashing Under the Waves of Life
I was running errands after work. I was frustrated and distracted by a work situation while driving in the rain. Then it happened – crash! The resulting car accident broke my back and put me in the hospital. I had to wear a brace for months. In the end, I was unable to stand and teach any longer.
My son-in-law was busy with his day-to-day routine: working, walking the dog, doing chores, and helping out your aging parents every weekend. Then, at 5:18 on a Friday evening, he got a phone call. Suddenly, his father vanished from that routine.
At some point in life, we all have a similar experience where life as we know it ceases to exist. Like me, you may have experienced an injury or lost a loved one, job, or career. Perhaps you’ve had a diagnosis, a shattered dream, or a disagreement that led to a broken friendship. Maybe you’ve endured betrayal, rejection, or abandonment.
Dear one, whatever you’re facing, know you don’t have to be washed ashore, broken and battered, by life’s waves. Jesus is our lifeguard. His grace saves, restores, and renews our strength.
When You’re Drowning In the Waves of Life
In times like these, when life’s waves crash all around us, how do we keep from drowning?
Reach Up
When life tosses us under the waves, and we can’t find our breath, tell up from down, or reach the surface, we can reach up to the Father. God will take our hand, rescue us, and offer us comfort and strength.
The Lord reminds us, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10, NIV).
Surrender
When we are freaking out and fearful of drowning, the best thing to do is stop fighting and allow our bodies to rise to the surface. Similarly, when we surrender our fears, tears, and years of planning to God’s will and way, He can help us rise above the waves that threaten to overcome us.
Solomon put it this way, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV).
Lean into The Holy Spirit
When our strength has waned and we feel fragile and weak, we rest in the comfort, strength, and guidance from God’s Spirit residing deep in our hearts.
As Paul reminds us, God’s grace is sufficient for us. His power is perfected in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Therefore, when we lean into God’s Holy Spirit, we “can do all things through him who strengthens” us (Philippians 4:13).
Focus on Jesus
Finally, friend, we can learn from Peter in Matthew 14:22-33. When we focus on the storms and raging waves of life, we will sink. But when we fix“our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2), He will take our hand and lead us to safety.
Riding the Waves Together
Life will always have its waves, some gentle and refreshing, others fierce and overwhelming. But no matter how high they rise or how deep they pull us under, we are never alone. When we reach up, surrender, lean in, and fix our eyes on Jesus, He meets us right there in the water. He does not just calm the storm; He teaches us how to ride the waves with faith, courage, and grace.
So, friend, if you find yourself in the undertow today, take heart. The same God who walked on water still walks beside you. Let His love steady your heart, His peace anchor your soul, and His hand lifts you above the waves once more.
Keep riding, one wave, one breath, one prayer at a time, knowing the Lifeguard of your soul will never let you drown.
Read More About God’s Rescue and Redemption
Ruth’s Redemption: A Journey of Love, Loyalty, and Faith
