This Is Love – Sermon From The Shore

Psalm 46:10 – Be still, and know that I am God. (NIV)

Have you ever experienced a time when a heavy heart crowded out the evidence of God's love? Recently while grieving the loss of someone dear to me, instead of being able to cast all my cares upon him, I found myself asking, "Where are you, God?"

The day I found my answer, I had gone to the beach, a place where the resonance of the waves was louder than the sound of my tears. On my walk, the music started gently, a rhythmic pattern as the waves lapped at my toes. A loon swam gracefully across the blue water, sailboats nodded in the gentle breeze, and the scent of autumn apples filled the air. There I noticed a perfectly formed rock in the shape of a footprint. Tearfully, I picked it up. Immediately, words reminiscent of Psalm 121:3 came to remind me that God was beside me, guiding my path: "When the road is rocky, I'll not let your foot slip."

A few minutes later, I noticed a flat rock shaped like a slate. On top of the slate were five small pebbles arranged in the form of a cross. I thought how great God's grief was when the human race sinned. Now, this same God was reminding me how much he loved me.

I believe God sees the falling tears of his children. When we go through the difficult times, God is waiting to remind us of his love, love so amazing, so divine, that no matter how deep the valley, he'll never forsake us. His word tells us just how much he cares. "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4:10 NIV)

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for your words of comfort. Remind all your people how you demonstrated your love when you gave the gift of your Son. Amen.

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