In the first two parts of this visit to the seashore, we were so busy that we did not notice the tide coming in. Suddenly the water is almost at our feet. What fun it is to run and splash in it! But don’t get any in your mouth . . . it is very salty!
What makes the tide go in and out? We know that it is under the control of the Creator. King David said long ago, “He [gathers] the waters of the sea together as an heap: He [lays] up the depth in storehouses” (Psalm 33:77He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. (Psalm 33:7)).
This is one of the very important things the Creator designed for the needs of the world. If there were no tides, the ocean would long ago have become a stagnant pool with no life in it. The tides, together with the action of the waves, stir up these great bodies of water, mixing them thoroughly and aerating them with life-giving oxygen. This movement helps to maintain just the right conditions for fish, plants and all marine life. This is also important to man and all life on earth, since sea products are vital to us.
To give tides their motion, God set the sun, the earth and the moon in exactly the right relationship to each other. The sun aids in setting the tides, but it is mainly the moon with its pull of gravity, like a huge magnet, that pulls the water up. High tide occurs directly below the moon and on the opposite side of the earth, because the moon pulls the solid earth away from the water. It takes the moon 24 hours and 51 minutes to make its circle, providing two high tides each day. This action is so regular that tide tables for any part of the world can be prepared far in advance. Only divine power could maintain such a system! No wonder the Psalmist said: “I know that the Lord is great. . . . Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places” (Psalm 135:56).
Waves add a great display to the tidal force as they roll in, rise to a crest, break and spill over with a crash. The action of the wind on the surface of the ocean is the main contributor to the size of the waves. Some waves travel hundreds of miles before reaching shore.
The Creator’s wisdom is also seen in the waves. Moving through the ocean in a rolling action, waves do not push water ahead but transmit their energy to the adjoining water, which passes it on the same way. Otherwise, the water would pile up to tremendous heights and flood the land with great destruction resulting.
How wise is the Lord God, and what wise counsel He has given to all young people: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:11Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; (Ecclesiastes 12:1)). Have you placed Him above everything else in your life, by knowing His love and accepting Him as your Saviour and Lord?
JUNE 15, 1997
ML-06/15/1997