The covenant bonds of marriage show God’s faithfulness
The seemingly chaotic state of life is not really disorderly but a way God shows his power. In Scripture, God defeats the force of chaos and brings order out of the uninhabitable waste place of the world. In Psalm 89, the mythological idea of chaos is even described as an enemy defeated by God so the world could be established according to His creative power.
And as opposed to the mythological conception of the chaos existing in the wilderness and the sea, the Bible presents them both as places for a particular manifestation of God’s presence and power. In Genesis 16, Hagar is pregnant with Ishmael and flees out of distress from Sarai into the wilderness where she is confronted by the Lord. She meets the living God in the desert, and she hears His prophetic word.
A few chapters later, Hagar and the child are sent off to wander in the wilderness of Beersheba, and she is left weeping because of their dying thirst. They are rescued by the Lord, for He is a God who sees and hears, even in the waste places of the wilderness.
Moses, the children of Israel, and Elijah also have encounters with God in the wilderness. Scripture abounds with this theme.
In the same manner, the sea is not a place of chaos, but an arena that displays God’s power. He has brought order out of disorder and tamed the unruly places of the world. Psalm 107 provides such a picture of God’s power over the wind and waves. Verses 23 through 31 describes merchants out on ships doing “business in great waters.” The sailors are confronted by a tumultuous storm and waves, and they are overcome with fear, and “their soul is melted because of trouble.” The KJV describes: at “wit’s end,” they cry unto the Lord.
The Lord is the one who brings the storm, and He calms it. The men on board are “glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.” And the psalmist describes the whole event transpiring as a way for God to display His power and goodness, making Himself known.
The psalmist completes the picture by a repetition of the psalm’s refrain: “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” And so in the waves and tumults of life, there is no chaos. God is the triumphant creator and sustainer. He is faithful. There is only a harmony that will find its completion in work of Jesus Christ.
Last weekend was my next oldest nephew’s turn to get married, and the previous year was a wedding for the oldest. Last year, I didn’t expect Coronavirus was the source of a high fever that left me with ensuing health issues, and on March 28, 2026, I had no idea a concussion I didn’t even know about could be the source of my dizziness, confusion, and a foreboding feeling that something wasn’t right with me.
But when I was at the wedding, the tumult and waves were stilled long enough for me to witness the covenant bonds of marriage and God’s faithfulness from one generation to another. I was in high school when my oldest sister was married, and her and her husband are about to celebrate 25 years together. It was their child who got married. God’s faithfulness continues as He promised.
As the storm is churning and the waves are high, it is really hard to see anything but chaos. But according to the power and goodness of God, there is a reprisal before the next wave rises up. In the calm, I get a clear and bright glimpse of the horizon line ahead.
