The Beach Is Calling: A 10 Day Plan for Rest and RelaxationSample

A Love Mightier Than the Mess

Mightier than the thunder of great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea— the Lord on high is mighty. PSALM 93:4 NIV

Have you ever been to the beach when a hurricane is threatening the coast? The waves sound like a continuous roll of thunder. God’s eternal power is always visible in the greatness of the ocean, but when the waters are turbulent and unsettled, there’s a different feeling of reverence for our almighty Creator. It’s an awe-inspiring reminder that He can do anything.

Nothing is beyond His control or capability. And it also brings an incredible peace to know He’s both father and friend to us all. Do you remember any mistakes or missteps from your past? Do you remember the spiritual growth God brought out of them? Know what’s awesome? God doesn’t remember any of them. Where would we be if our failures were recorded the way our tears are? He doesn’t do that and never would, and that truth exposes His heart so beautifully.

Our lives can seem like a cluttered mess of wrong choices and failures, but we serve a God who uses messy lives to show the world how amazing His grace really is. How is it apparent in a life that’s perfectly put together? He’s the champion of the forgotten and a hero to the heartbroken. And the grace we have through Jesus is mightier than any mess we can possibly make of our lives.

When we start to feel guilty about the impatience that edged out a loving response today or the worry that got in the way of our peace or the frustration that became the wrong words spoken, we need to replace the shame with the mercy and grace waiting for us at the throne of grace—a place we’re invited to approach with confidence—a place that reminds us of the One who rules the sea. And the Lord on high hasn’t lost an ounce of His power.

Father, Your grace is the sea that drowns my shame and washes away the mistakes I’ve made. My heart is full of praise and wonder at the power of Your love.