Sand & Sunrises

The warm, soft, North Carolina sand was a playground for my toes, as the ocean breeze blew through my hair. The clouds looked like mountains on the horizon, and I was in awe of the light pinks that turned orange, and faded into bright blue. The sun was a beautiful ball of light that slowly rose, illuminating the beach. This was the experience I shared with my grandma last summer on our family vacation. As I watched the whole progression and did some reflection afterwards, I realized the following three things about God.

First, God is bigger than we can comprehend. I sat there, staring at the expanse of sky and sea that blended together somewhere in the middle. I had trouble grasping the magnitude of the ocean because the portion I saw doesn’t compare to its full size. In the same way, we get a glimpse of the size and character of God, but that is only a taste of who He truly is! He is infinite, yet He cares for the smallest forms of life that swim in the ocean. He saw me sitting on the beach this summer, and He cares for me as well. That is hard to comprehend.

Second, God’s grace comes in waves continuously. Waves can be strong and dangerous, and they can also be gentle. One day the ocean might seem powerful and the next it’s tame, but both qualities are true of the same body of water. God too, can be dangerously powerful. He also extends his grace to us over and over, lapping at our feet like the waves. Both power and grace define God, and they cannot be separated. He always washes up on shore just the right amount of grace that we need for the day.

Third, God is beauty. He is an expert artist that paints the sky bright pinks and oranges. My breath was taken away by one particular sunset during vacation, and I found myself thinking “wow, look at God showing off”! Then I thought, He’s not showing off, He is simply providing us with a glimpse of his power and beauty for our enjoyment. One day God will show off his artistry, and in that day the sun will no longer exist but God himself will provide the light in the New Creation.

Whether you watch the sunrise with your toes in the sand, or watch the sunset over the mountains, look at how God’s character is revealed in creation. He is bigger than we can comprehend, He is continuously gracious, and He is the beautiful, expert creator.

“The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting, out of Zion the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.” Psalm 50:1-2