A while back, Renee and I were in Florida, taking a week-long break from the Minnesota cold and snow. I was writing my blog from there. Each morning, we got up and went for a two-hour walk along the beach to pray and then look for beautiful shells and sand dollars. This daily beach ritual has always been one of our favorite parts of the day.
As we walked along the white sand shores with the waves gently rolling in, we’d pass sandcastles, notes written in the sand, and all the creative sand sculptures children had made the day before. They’d be there one day—and gone the next.
One morning, as we walked and prayed, I watched the waves run up the shoreline, covering yesterday’s sandcastles with fresh sand and shells. The water would flow back into the ocean, leaving only a bare, flat stretch of beach—erasing all evidence of what had been built the day before. It made me think about the Lord and His amazing grace. He was speaking to my heart about how His grace has the power to wash over what we left behind yesterday and give us a fresh start today. Then He reminded me of His words from Lamentations 3:22–23 (NLT): “The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
Some of what we leave behind isn’t just sinful actions, attitudes, or behaviors. Sometimes, it’s fears and anxieties—the kind Satan works hard to orchestrate in our lives. I’ve had those moments. So has Renee.
I remember a time about ten years into our marriage when our finances seemed to be a disaster. The near future wasn’t looking good. Renee was managing our checkbook at the time and struggling to pay bills.
One morning, as I walked into the living room, she was sitting on the couch crying. I sat down beside her and asked what was wrong. She confessed her fears about us being in financial trouble and not seeing a way out. I had my own concerns but was managing them through prayer and seeking God. I tried to encourage her heart, but nothing I said seemed to help.
Then, out of my mouth came these words: “You know what, honey? You’re absolutely right! Although God has taken care of us again and again these past ten years, as of today, it’s over! He’s done! He’s had enough of us. He isn’t helping us anymore. He doesn’t care about us or the state we’re in. He’s going to let us sink like a rock in the ocean!”
I made it as dramatic as possible, and as I spoke, she stopped crying and cracked a smile. Then she laughed.
“I get it,” she said. “You’re right. He’s always taken care of us, and I know He will now, too!”
We both know the voice of God and the lies of the devil, so it was easy to discern who was trying to take us down with fear. Right then and there, we stopped and prayed. When we were done, His peace washed over us. He washed the burdens of our heart away, replacing those negative thoughts with the promises of His Word and the comfort that immediately comes from putting our faith and trust in Him.
Attacks on our faith and trust will come again and again in life. As a Christian, you need to know that. But we must also remember the promises of God that trump every fear as we pray in faith, trusting Him! When we do, our moments of fear and doubt are washed over by the waves of His promises—bringing fresh faith, renewed trust, and unexpected surprises, like the treasured sand dollars we would occasionally find on the beach.
Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV) "The LORD himself goes before you and will be
with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be
discouraged."
In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt
