Ever since I was a little girl, I loved going to the beach. My parents and I would pack up the car and drive to California to visit family, and I always asked if we could go to the beach. Now, even as an adult, I love to go to the beach with my husband. I love to feel the cool salt air blowing against my face and the sand between my toes, and to watch the beautiful waves roll onto the shoreline. Mesmerized by the beautiful blue water, I find God there in the vast expanse of the Gulf. It’s there in the beauty and tranquility that I see His fingerprints everywhere I look, from the blue waters to the sand on the seashore.
The phrase “the sand on the seashore” is actually a biblical metaphor used to convey the idea of vastness, abundance, and innumerability. I love how this imagery is throughout the scriptures, to describe God’s promises, blessings, and the fulfillment of His covenant with His people.
Genesis 22:17 reminds us of God’s faithfulness to Abraham for his obedience to God. God says, “I will bless you and will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is on the seashore;”. Verse 18 says, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
I love how God’s word and promises are always true, innumerable, and never-ending. He longs to shower His children with blessings and show us how He never breaks the covenants He made to his people thousands of years ago.
I feel God’s love is as abundant and vast as the sand on the seashore. He loves us so richly and deeply, and we are told that “nothing can separate us from His love.” Romans 8:38–9 says, “for I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” Now that is a love and a promise to hold onto.
In order for us to tap into this amazing, never-ending love of God, we must first accept the gift of His Son Jesus Christ, who died on the cross, rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and is coming for those who believe in Him and receive Him into their hearts. Simple, yet profound. This immeasurable love gives us the gift of eternal life with God for all eternity.
Let’s take a look at Joshua 11:4, which says, “So they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with many horses and chariots.” In verse six, God said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time, I will deliver all of them slain before Israel.” Here we find God keeping His covenant with Abraham by protecting Joshua and all of Israel, Abraham’s descendants.
In 1 Samuel 13:5, “The Philistines gathered to fight against Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 Horsemen and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude.” This imagery illustrates the overwhelming odds against Israel, setting the stage for God’s deliverance through Saul and Jonathan.
God shows the fulfillment of His promise to Abraham in 1 Kings 4:20: “The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore.”
So if you go to the beach or look up into the evening sky, and you see the stars or the sand on the seashore, think about God’s promises to us as His people. It’s a powerful reminder of God’s faithfulness and the abundance of His blessings. It shows the vastness of God’s promises and the certainty of their fulfillment. The imagery also emphasizes the divine providence; as God’s people, we are assured of His protection and provision, despite seemingly insurmountable challenges.
We know that we serve a mighty and powerful God and Creator of the universe, and all that is in it. We can rest in the power of His love and protection over us until the fulfillment of all things, and the last days on earth will come, and His judgment will come to those who continually reject Him. Let’s be sure to obey, love, and honor Him in all we do and enjoy the beauty of all of His creation, which reminds us of His unfailing love.
🩵Beth Nahkala
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#bethnahkalablogs