The Peak of Inspiration

I watched and listened as the endless waves rolled in from the sea and crashed onto the sandy shore. I thought about the power and energy of each wave, separated by only a few seconds, and then about the perpetuation of what I was seeing and hearing, how this ocean had been doing this for thousands of years, day and night, through every season. It overwhelmed me.

I watched the mesmerizing waves as they would first swell, then break, and finally sweep up on the sand by my feet before sliding back down into the next one. The constant collision and movement, and never even one second of total stillness.

The sand caught my attention. Behind me, up on the beach, it was hot, dry sand full of footprints. I suppose it hadn’t changed much either through the years – fresh footprints, yes, but always footprints. The high tide never reached that high, and only a very rare storm would do anything to erase them.

The sand in front of me was different. As the water would wash up and down the slope, it formed an absolutely perfect surface, continually. This glossy, wet sand was always fresh, always new, and footprints never lasted for more than a moment.

A lady walked by, and I watched her footprints disappear behind her. This powerful ocean was erasing those prints with no effort whatsoever. As she carried on down the shore, the footprints continued to melt away behind her, without a trace.

Then I thought about Gods Grace, and my own sin.

The fact is, I am a sinner. As I go through each day, I’ll inevitably be leaving sins behind me. There’s not really any way to live without faults, just like there’s no way to walk on sand without leaving footprints. Walking in the wet sand is like walking in the Grace of God. His boundless Love and Grace will effortlessly erase my sins and shortcomings, if I walk close to Him. If I find myself wandering far into the hot dry sand, away from the waves of Grace, I will find that the walking is difficult and the prints left behind are not erased.

God’s Grace is powerful, enormous and constant. It’s completely free, and it washes up onto the shore continuously, whether I am walking there or not. The refreshing water provides a smooth surface for my feet, and as I walk there, my sins are forgiven.

Written by Robert Toews