I love the beach! I don’t know exactly what calls me to the ocean side. I love the sound of the crashing waves and the salty smell of the air. But I think a huge pull is that my mind can so easily be still there. Things that need to be done today are not present here. I walk the beach for miles just waiting for the sun to rise. There is nothing quite like it, and no two sunrises are the same. I pray while I walk. I mostly praise and worship my God and lift my family and friends in prayer. There’s no limit to the time that I can spend in conversation with Him here. It appears I can hear Him and see Him more clearly here.
He always uses things around me to teach me and speak to me. I will never forget how He did just that early one fall morning. There had been a storm the night before that changed the landscape of the beach. I ventured out onto a strip of sand cut out of the beach and surrounded by ocean. Something out there caught my eye, so I went to investigate. It was great! For a minute. And then the sand began to give way underneath me. I was knee deep in wet sand and was uncertain how to get out. It created a suction that I had to pull against to free myself, only to sink again. For a moment, I felt panic. The sun was not yet up, and I was all alone. But then I heard “stop struggling. Pull yourself up. Then keep moving.” It was slow and took a lot of strength, but I just kept my eyes on the shore and kept walking. Before long, I was back on solid ground, safe and secure.
Isn’t that just the way life is? We see something that looks so fabulous, and we head right for it, whether it’s a relationship, things, a “good time”, and the list goes on… only to find ourselves alone and sinking. Stuck. With no way out. Except that that’s not true. There is a way out. His name is Jesus. Put your faith and trust in Him. He will lead you out. It won’t be easy. You’ll have to put in the work. But if you keep your eye on Him, you will soon find yourself on solid ground.
“On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.”
Where in your life do you feel like you’re sinking today? Fix your eyes on Jesus, and trust that He will lead you back to solid ground.
(Psalm 62:6-8, NLT) He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.
