Jack Gutknecht Supporter ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

Good question, Michael! Your question is especially meaningful to me as I grew up on the Somo River which is a tributary of the Tomahawk River in Tomahawk, Wisconsin during every summer.

Psalm 8 Inspires:

After a stagecoach accident that left Matthew Maury partially disabled and ending his active duty with the Navy, "... he was placed in charge of the Depot of Charts and Instruments, out of which grew the U.S. Naval Observatory and Hydrographic Office". Unfortunately, Maury discovered that the Navy had very few charts of the oceans! 

What it did have was Navy ship logbooks in which sea captains had recorded their daily locations, and the speed and directions of winds and currents. When Maury compiled these records he saw a pattern that he added to by asking merchant captains to make and send him more observations. 

Additionally, Maury set adrift weighted bottles known as drift bottles that were not affected by wind because they floated slightly below the surface of the water. Instructions sealed in each bottle directed anyone who found one washed ashore to return it with details of where and when the bottles were found. This information enabled Maury to develop charts of the ocean currents - the 'paths' of the seas, which helped captains plot the best sea lanes for their voyages.

Matthew Maury read, "When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man, that Thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that Thou visitest him? Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands: Thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas."

Maury discovered the importance of Psalm 8:8. That verse tells us that, among other things, God has given man dominion over the beasts of the field, the fowl of the air, the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passes through the paths of the sea. "The Bible says there are paths in the sea," Maury thought, "and if the Bible says it, I believe it." He was also aware of Ecclesiastes 1:6, which states: "The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits."

Maury, on the basis of the Bible, concluded that there are well-established wind circuits and that there are literally "paths in the sea" - that is, definite currents in the ocean. He reasoned that if these wind currents and ocean currents could be located and plotted, this information would be of great value to marine navigators. Utilizing this information, the sailing vessels could be directed along routes that would take advantage of these sea and air currents, reducing by many days the time required to traverse the seas. The Bible says there are “paths in the sea".

Maury's native state, the State of Virginia, has acknowledged the great debt navigation owes him, having erected monuments to his memory. On these monuments may be found a plaque that reads as follows: "Matthew Fontaine Maury, Pathfinder of the Seas, the Genius Who First Snatched from the Ocean and Atmosphere the Secret of Their Laws. His Inspiration, Holy Writ, Psalm 8:8, Psalm 107:23,24, and Ecclesiastes 1:6."

February 16 2019 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Shirley H. Supporter prayer warrior

I think that some of these verses may be what you are seeking. In THE BOOK there are many references to water. Here are a few. Let us start at the beginning:
Genesis 1:2. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters...Gen.1:6, 7:10; 9:15; 49:4. Deuteronomy 8:7; 11:11. Job 40:23. 
1Chronicles 16:32.
Psalms 23:2; 29:10; 46:3; 65:7; 69:1; 90:5; 124:4.
Isaiah 11:9; 19:5-10; 28:17; 43:2,16.
Ezekiel 43:2; 7:17; 32:6.
Lamentations 3:54.
Jeremiah 51:42.
Jonah 2:3-5.
Zechariah 14:8, 10:11.
Song of Solomon 8:7.
Matthew 7:25; 14:29; 8:24.
Luke 6:48.
John7:38.
2Corinthians 11:26. 
2Peter 2:5.
Jude 13.
Revelation 7:17; 8:11; 21:6; 22:1-And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea...
The main idea I get is God always was and always will be in control of this HIS CREATION. I hope this helps. Amen.

June 05 2015 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report