Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea—the Lord on high is mighty. Psalm 93:4
“How much good it does a person if one is in a gloomy mood to walk on the empty beach and look into the gray-green sea with the long white lines of the waves.”
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 58.
If you noticed four days without a Daily Meditation, it’s because my website (and the ability to add to it) ranked among many sites that are blocked in Kazakhstan because of the content.
That gives you a glimpse of the situation in which I served. It was a very fruitful trip despite the complexities of the context. Reply if you want a copy of my trip report. I am posting this from Frankfurt en route home.
In his painting, Seascape near Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, Vincent illustrates what he is writing about here. He shifts from gloomy to good by taking a walk on the beach.
Are you gloomy today? Maybe you live in a peaceful setting, but report gloominess linked to unrealized expectations or unforeseen trials. Things in life have just not gone as you hoped or anticipated.
Elsewhere, followers of Christ in contexts that demonstrate hostility to Christianity feel discouraged or defeated because of their difficult circumstances. I have seen it first hand.
The government terrorizes people saying they will file fictitious law suits or seize property. They make physical threats of harm to a person or to those they love. They even put people in jail for no reason.
This is true in places like Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan where I served this week. So, the nature of my visit aims to lift their sights and encourage their spirits.
If you are in a good place, look around to see if you find someone gloomy and go to them. In Central Asia, our visit encouraged many people to stay the course in serving God.
If you are in a gloomy place, go outside. Look for God. You will find Him. I promise. It will likely be an extraordinary moment in something unexpected and ordinary, like waves.
When I could not post for four days, I did this. I went for a walk. The destination was a coffee shop but along the way I saw God’s provision for creation and felt His peace in my situation.
Do it, go outside. I pray that experience lifts you to a good place to play your role in his economy of all things with gratitude, peace, and generosity. And I am thankful to be back online.