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The sun rises and the sun sets; the tide comes in and the tide goes out. You don’t even think about it. It’s like your heartbeat: steady, predictable, dependable, and without any forethought. Well, that is if you are healthy of course. But there would be no questions, no doubts or concerns, if we are measuring the beating of God’s heart.

David was a man after God’s own heart. What does that even mean? It means David was synchronized with God’s desires; he was in-tune with what Yahweh wanted and specifically what Yahweh wanted of him. It means to trust in God’s provision and protection no matter what threats surround you. It’s comforting to connect with the heartbeat of God, but how comforting could it be if the beat of His heart was erratic, unstable, unpredictable, or undependable? The sun rises and sets and you don’t give it a second thought; you literally can “set your watch by it.” The tides also come in and go out like clockwork, unless there is a storm approaching and the heavy rain and potential storm-surge cause rivers and oceans to spill over onto what is otherwise dry ground.

Many heavy rains act as enemies against the riverbanks of our lives. All sorts of storms threaten to overflow our personal coastlines. But God’s heartbeat is steady and predictable; His tides never get so low that you bottom out or so high that you drown in the flood. David writes, “Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near me. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.” Isaiah reveals the heartbeat of God with His words of comfort; “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.”

There is one final piece I must confirm. You are not meant to go it alone. God has placed others around His people and His institution to remind them that His heart never stops beating for them. God’s heart never skips a beat, never flutters, has no leaks or clogs, and is immune to arrhythmias and infarction. Stay connected to God’s beating heart; it is your hiding place. In other words, there is no storm so powerful that He can’t “tide you over.”