Sand and Sea Stories

"How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand..." Psalm 139:17-18 NIV

"If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea." Isaiah 48:18 NIV

I was blessed with a week's vacation on a sunny beach, and am grateful for the rest and refreshment I experienced there. I will be thinking and praying about how I can keep a sense of that rest and refreshment in my life, which surely does not always have to be super-busy and chaotic, a lifestyle I know is not from God. While walking on the beach, I got to thinking about the sand....immeasurable, uncountable beautiful grains of sand, just on this one beach; when I think of all the sand grains in the world it is mind-boggling. God's thoughts are like this....which is why He has no trouble keeping all of us safely in His care. I am glad I don't have that ability and responsibility...and I confess that sometimes I get into my SuperMom/SuperTherapist mode and think that I do. I pray that He will keep me humble and help me to focus on what He has given me to do. I am also grateful for the wisdom in all of the "grains of sand" in God's Word...teaching me daily how to live my life in His way.

Most people I've met feel a sense of peace and refreshment when we spend time by the water. In Isaiah 48:18, God reminds us that if we pay attention to his commands, really listen to and take action on His Word, we will have peace like a river, and our well-being will be like the waves of the sea. Not only can we find rest and refreshment in the beauty of nature He created, but also by paying attention to Him. There is a song refrain running through my head....my soul finds rest in God alone....

Lord, thank you for the times of rest and refreshment you provide me with. Help me to keep Sabbath with you on a regular basis, so I can be renewed in your presence and Spirit. Let me not get too busy or distracted to spend time with You, or think I am too important to rest, for both the Father and the Son rested. Thank you for all the grains of wisdom in Your Word. Help me always to find rest in You alone...a rest like the constant and steady rhythm of the ocean waves. In Jesus' name, Amen


Life Steps: Find time and space to rest in God, in your own way. Spend a few moments in God's Word to find the grain of wisdom you need for today.