Let’s Talk About God Leveling our Paths Like a Tsunami!

May, 2024 Blog

By: Joyce K. Picker

This month I want to talk about Proverbs 3: 5-6. This is one of my all-time favorite Scriptures. It’s a direct promise from God about how He rewards us for our trusting faithfulness.

First, I want to share some facts about Tsunamis. I will tie it into the Scripture, just be patient. This is from DoSomething.org. It’s a global movement of young people making positive change for the environment, online and off.

1.     A tsunami is a series of ocean waves caused by an underwater earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption. More rarely, a tsunami can be generated by a giant meteor impact with the ocean. These waves can reach heights of over 100 ft.

2.     About 80% of tsunamis happen within the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire.”

3.     The first wave of a tsunami is usually not the strongest, successive waves get bigger and stronger.

4.     Tsunamis can travel at speeds of about 500 miles or 805 kilometers an hour, almost as fast as a jet plane.

5.     The states in the U.S. at greatest risk for tsunamis are Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California. (Oh no, I live in Washington!)

6.     If caught by a tsunami wave, it is better not to swim, but rather to grab a floating object and allow the current to carry you.

7.     Tsunamis retain their energy, meaning they can travel across entire oceans with limited energy loss.

8.     Tsunami means “harbor wave” in Japanese (tsu = harbor + nami = wave), reflecting Japan’s tsunami-prone history.

9.     Scientists can accurately estimate the time when a tsunami will arrive almost anywhere around the world based on calculations using the depth of the water, distances from one place to another, and the time that the earthquake or other event occurred.

10. Hawaii is always at great risk for a tsunami – they get about 1 per year and a severe one every 7 years. The biggest tsunami that occurred Hawaii happened in 1946, the coast of Hilo Island was hit with 30 ft waves at 500 mph.

11. In 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami was caused by an earthquake with the energy of 23,000 atomic bombs. After the earthquake, killer waves radiating from the epicenter slammed into the coastline of 11 countries. The final death toll was 283,000.

I found this information very enlightening, especially since I really did not know anything at all about tsunamis. You will see how I tie it into the Scripture for you.

Proverbs 3: 5-6 ESV Version

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.6  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5–6:  Complete Jewish Bible Version

5 Trust in Adonai with all your heart; do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him; then he will level your paths.

What a totally different picture one word can make. What do you think of when it says in the ESV version, make straight your paths?

What do you think of in the Complete Jewish Bible Version, when it says, level your paths?

Verse 5 says: to trust in the Lord with all your heart. The Hebrew word for trust in this passage is bittachon. It means: to lean on, feel safe, confident, faith and belief. Do you think the Lord is giving us a message here? He wants us to be sold out in our trust for Him and He wants us to do it with all our heart. That means we are all in, there is no halfway here! It’s how you feel and act when something or someone you love is exhilarating.

Verse 5 says: Do not lean on your own understanding. This means acknowledging that you do not have all the answers. Often our own understanding is so limited that we are looking at something with only our eyes or experience can see it. We may have tunnel vision whereas if we rely on God, He can see clearly. He knows all things. Our thoughts, emotions and human wisdom will fail us. But God never fails us.

Verse 6 says: In all your ways acknowledge Him. What does that mean to you? To me it means, that in everything we do, we must acknowledge Him. This means, at home, at work, out and about, driving, anything we are doing, we must show that He is number one in our lives. I recently saw a football player being interviewed after the Super Bowl. The very first thing he said when the interview started was, “I want to give glory to God”. That’s what I call acknowledging Him but there are more ways, in public times, private times and all times. It’s great if we live our lives being sold out to Him, but we also must speak it with our mouths.  

Finally, the last part of Verse 6, Then He will level your path. I love the Complete Jewish Bible wording of this verse because it’s so accurate. Directing and making straight your path is very different from leveling it.

Hebrew word for level: Yashar means to be level to be straight and just or lawful. (law keeping, righteous), free of obstacles.

This is the kind of path made for a king.  Some translations of this verse read “he shall direct your path” but that isn’t quite the right sense.  God doesn’t push you out on your way without making the road ahead straight and clear.  He doesn’t hand you a map and tell you to check in with Him when you reach the destination.  He levels the path for you.  It is both the work of God for man, as in this verse, and also the work of man for God (Isaiah 40:3).  Uprightness is a lifestyle characterized by being blameless and blamelessness is a determination based on God’s standards.

It is common in military training to run an obstacle course.  The intention is to develop agility, strength, and perseverance.  Too often we think of our lives in military terms, as if God sets us out on an obstacle course to see if we have the stamina to remain faithful. But that’s not what this verse suggests.  God is actively engaged in clearing the path, like the man on the Olympic curling team who sweeps the ice as the stone moves toward its target.  His job is to make sure nothing impedes the progress of the stone.  God takes on the same role.  He makes sure nothing impedes our progress toward His objective.

Of course, we often think that He isn’t doing His job very well because from our perspective it doesn’t seem as if the stone is heading straight for the target.  But our view is defective.  The only thing that stands in the way of God achieving His objective is us!  That’s right, the accuser has no ability to block God’s purposes without God’s permission.  There aren’t any evil demons who are able to divert God’s plans unless they are allowed to do so.  As long as we are obedient, God’s objective is achieved without interference.  And when we are disobedient, we delay God, we do not defeat Him.

Now let's take another look at the Tsunami picture above. Just imagine that God has leveled it for you, and you can walk right through to your destination, the rubble, trash, and other debris won’t affect you as you go through, and the way is clear- He is directing the way as He levels it. Unlike a tsunami, we don’t have to walk through devastation and ruins, we simply must walk on the levelled path keeping our eyes on our Lord and Savior. Look at the

Apostle Paul’s words: Philippians 3: 12-14 NLT

12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers, and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

God has leveled the ground for us to prepare a way where there seems to be no way. Lets move down the leveled path. Don't look at the debris. Just follow Him where He leads.

Let’s pray: Thank you Father for leveling the path for us so we have no doubt which way you are leading us and directing us and renewing us. The path is clear, let us make the right choice now and always. In Yeshua’s name. Amen.

Take a look at my other blogs and it is my hope they minister to you! Let me hear from you sometime! Much love!