Even from my balcony, I could tell that the pockets of seawater standing along the beach were shallow and placid. Stretches of sand separated these tiny, sunken pools, which dotted the shoreline in every low-lying area. These modest puddles attracted families laden with sunscreen, lounge chairs, and chubby-faced toddlers. Further out, where the Celtic Sea lapped at Combesgate Beach, the more adventurous played frisbee with labradors and navigated the deeper waters for paddle boarding.
While the afternoon advanced, the tide rose gradually but steadily. Glancing over my book every few minutes, I watched the oceanfront before me notably change. The moon’s magnetism quietly drew the ocean inward, dispersing the pleasure seekers. Beachcombers of all ages gathered their gear and ascended the rocky steps to head home.
As if on cue, the waters of the great Atlantic spilled across both the hollows and the high ground, filling the entire inlet. With the sandbars flooded, individual pools merged, turning the whole bay into one seamless sea. It was high tide on the North Devon coast.
What a picture of revival. When the Spirit of God pours Himself upon our land, the waters of awakening will merge the pools of intercessors with those stranded on dry ground. The needy and the faithful alike will be absorbed into the great ocean of His love. All will experience His deluge.
“His going forth is as certain as the dawn” (Hosea 6:3). Surely, we can also say His coming is as definite as the tide. Nineteenth-century Andrew Murray said that when “the Spirit of God comes, according to the promise – as floods upon the dry ground — each will know the power in himself and in others, and self will disappear as the Spirit is known and honored.” What a beautiful picture of the outpouring of His Spirit.
“Father, we earnestly look for the wave of Your Spirit. Just as the mighty ocean swallows up the shallow puddles at high tide, we welcome You to transform our nation’s desolation into a vast bay of Kingdom brilliance (Psalm 107:35). You promised that ‘the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea’ (Habakkuk 2:14). May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done. Overflow every lowly home, church, and meeting place until they merge into a united ocean of light. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”