“Devotions from the Beach”-Let it Go
“as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us”
Psalm 103:12
O’ Gracious divine,
May the Words of my mouth(Typing Fingers), and the meditation of my heart, be found acceptable in your sight, my ocean rock and my still-Speaking God. AMEN!
So, as much as I love this Beach devotional book, I must admit it took me three readings to find the right devotion for today, the other two though amazing in themselves just didn’t have the impact I was looking for in writing today. So, I will circle back around to those later.
As I begin to write today my heart flutters with excitement that in 27 days - 3 hours - 32 min - and 12..11…10…9… (You get the idea) Seconds… My husband, My Father-in-law, and I will be taking flight to the white sandy beaches of Ft. Myers Beach, Florida. Even as my fingers touch these keys, inside I can feel a wave of energy that fills my soul, like the tide fills the shore, in anticipation of what great things the beach offers me personally, physically, and spiritually.
Today, this writing speaks so deeply to the core of why I even picked up this beach devotional book, and why I consider the beach to be such an influential venue of God’s creation. It is almost difficult to describe how the beach is much more than a sweet vacation location. thankfully The Word of God can be such a beautiful literation for us amidst the words already written within.
Acts 7 recalls a story of Moses, his well known experience of an angel amidst the flames of a burning bush on Mount Sinai. I’m sure we all can imagine his amazement in this experience… out of that bush then came the voice of the Lord: “I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”…”Take off your sandals from your feet for the place where you are standing is holy ground”
THAT… is how I feel when I allow myself to enter into the sanctuary that is present at the beach. The still speaking God makes his presence known and says to my heart:
“I am the God of your Ancestors, The God of those in your life who have brought you to me, The God of Constance, Bob, and of your Parents and Grandparents, Take of the sandals on your feet, feel your toes in the sand, for where you are standing, Anthony, this is holy ground”
Because this is holy ground, it is a power source that reaches the core of my being, bringing me the closest i’ve ever been to the living Christ. As I stand or sit, and glare out onto the vast reach and depth of the ocean, I am reminded of how not only how Christ has washed me clean, but also how far my transgressions have been removed from me, as far as the east is from the west, or as one of my favorite Audio Adrenaline Songs says… they’re at the Bottom of the ocean floor. As, I am reminded of this I can let it all go. I can allow the waves to wash it all away and pull it to the ocean floor, allowing me to be left, taking a walk along the sands with the still speaking God and the living Christ at my side.
Today I encourage you… even if you can’t physically make it TO the beach… allow yourself to enter into that mental picture, and whatever it may be that you need to let go of, put it as a message in a bottle, and throw it into the ocean and let the waves pull it away! PRAISE GOD!!!!