By Robert Halsey Pine
“God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places…And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:15-23 NRSV).
The oceans of the world and the waters connected to them rise and fall twice each day. This is known as the ebbing and flowing of the tide. It has to do with the attraction of the sun and the moon. When the sun, moon and earth are in a straight-line relationship, the tide is at its strongest or spring tide. When the sun, moon and earth form a right angle, with the earth at the point of the angle, the tide is at its weakest or neap tide.
God created the sun and the moon and the earth. He created everything that there is or will be and His creation is continuous. In creating, God gives all things their supreme attributes. Like the earthly tides there is an ebbing and flowing of God’s spiritual tide in us. When we are in line with Him and seeking Him constantly, we are experiencing a spiritual spring tide. When we are out of line with Him, at angles with Him by not seeking Him in our lives, we are at a spiritual neap tide.
St. Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians was that, “The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.” This prayer is also for us today.
To think that we have full control over our spirituality would be like the oceans of the world thinking that they control their tides. Our spiritual connection with God is a gift from Him. He came to us through His Son who with the Holy Spirit teaches us and influences us in God’s ways. Our part is to be in line with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
This is our best opportunity. high or spring tide is a description of something that is at its highest or its best. In the Body of Christ, the Church, our regular prayer, meditation and study, and our acting on God’s influence in us will keep us at spring tide.
Robert Halsey Pine was born at Newark, Ohio in 1943. He is a graduate of Northeastern University and completed the program of Theological Education by Extension: Education for Ministry, School of Theology, the University of the South.