Dear Friends,
I’m ashamed to confess that I have not made the brief thirty minute drive out to our gorgeous Pensacola beach in six months. (I know. You can leave your expressions of disappointment in the comments or even better, you can tell me the last time you went to the beach).
Despite my seeming neglect of what my mom once deemed the “prettiest water she’d seen anywhere in the world” (and she had seen quite a lot, including the Mediterranean Sea), I love our beach. I love early morning sunrises over the cool gray waters. I love seeing fish through the clear bright teal at midday. I love watching the waves roll in all day long. The sea brings me rest and reminds me of how far-reaching and constant God’s love is. Which brings me to our monthly meditation on the new heavens and the new earth. Will there really be no more sea there? Read on to find out.
No more sea?
…and the sea was no more. Revelation 21:1
Even though I’ve never seen the movie “Changing Lanes,” I’ve always remembered a quote from it. These lines were delivered by William Hurt, playing the sponsor for a recovering alcoholic played by Samuel Jackson: “You know, booze isn’t really your drug of choice anyway. You’re addicted to chaos. For some of us, it’s coke. For some of us it’s bourbon. But you? You got hooked on disaster.”
We all know people like Jackson’s character, people addicted to chaos, people hooked on disaster. If it weren’t for the intervention of God’s grace, sin would lead us all to such a fate. Sin and evil bring disaster; sin and evil cause chaos. That’s why it’s good news when John tells us, “the sea is no more.” He’s not saying there will be no more Gulf Coast or Mediterranean Sea; he’s telling us the chaos caused by sin and evil will cease to exist in the new heavens and the new earth.
Photo by David Cleverley on Unsplash
The sea in Scripture
The sea, throughout Scripture, points to chaos, disaster, sin, and evil. In Revelation 13:1, the evil beast rises out of the sea. In Psalm 74, Asaph tells us God saves his people by ruling over the sea, “You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of sea monsters on the waters…” (Psalm 74:13-14). In Mark 4, Jesus rules over the chaos of the sea when he orders the wind and the waves to “Be still” (Mark 4:39).
Sin and chaos
We’ve all seen the chaotic consequences of sin. A college student blows her rent money on new shoes one month and a new phone the next month; by the third month, her roommates kick her out for failing to pay her share of the rent. A lonely married woman begins having regular coffee dates with a married male co-worker; six months later, they’ve had an affair, and both of their marriages and all of their kids are in turmoil. Sin leads to chaos: disaster, disorder, division, disruption.
What are we waiting for and how shall we wait?
What are we waiting for? The day of no more chaos, the day of still silver waters and glassy teal seas. The day we will take long walks on beaches unspoiled by oil spills, the day we will no longer have to save baby turtles, baby dolphins, baby whales, or baby humans. The day of the calm that comes when we worship the Lord who has ordered the cosmos and fully restored his perfect peace.
How then shall we wait? We wait with hope for the day of no more temptation to spend money foolishly, no more temptation to tear people down with our tongues, no more temptation to seek intimacy in another woman’s husband. As we wait longing for the day of no more sin, we “walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8), offering an anchor of hope in turbulent times, bringing peace to a chaotic world.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Prayer
Lord of Peace,
We confess, the chaos wrought by our sin is exhausting. Forgive us and free us, that we might live in your perfect peace. We long for the day when we will never sin again. We long for the day your shalom will reign forever. Until that day comes, send us as your disaster response team to bring order to people and places wrecked by the tsunami of sin.
In your peace-bringing name. Amen.
For Reflection
1. How have you seen sin lead to chaos and disaster in your own life or the life of others?
2. Imagine what life without chaos, disaster, division, or disruption will be like. Describe that life in a couple of sentences.
Further Encouragement
Read Ephesians 5:1-21; Psalm 74; Mark 4:35-41.
This Month’s Recommended Resources
Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of Revelation by Nancy Guthrie
As I mentioned last month, I’m currently writing a new devotional on the hope we await according to Revelation 21 and 22. Guthrie’s new book just released in May, and I have enjoyed the first several chapters. Revelation 1:3 says that those who read aloud the words of the book will be blessed, and Revelation contains seven statements of blessing. Guthrie helps us with the confusion and fear that often accompany studying the book of Revelation, offering a clear and readable guide.
Speaking of being blessed by hearing the book of Revelation read aloud, check out this dramatic reading of the book. As I try to immerse myself in Revelation 21 and 22, I listened to just those two chapters and found myself weeping.
The Biggest Story Bible Storybook by Kevin DeYoung and illustrated by Don Clark
I chose this book as an Easter gift for my children and grandchildren (even though they’re grown), and I had to get one for myself. The illustrations are stunning, and the stories are beautifully told.
The Rose of Winslow Street and other novels by Elizabeth Camden
If you’re looking for fast-paced historical Christian fiction, I recommend checking out books by Elizabeth Camden. I was returning a book to our church library recently, and a friend spoke highly of her, so I decided to try a book. So far I’ve read two, and I appreciate her clever female leads, her well-developed plots, and her attention to social issues like literacy and prejudice as well as theological issues like forgiveness and pride.