MEDITATION:
Written by Katie Minter Jones, a contemporary author.
Sunrise at the beach is my favorite place to worship and fully experience Jesus; I’m overwhelmed by His presence there. His majesty is displayed in the splendor of the sunrise as the rays paint the sky with beautiful shades of color. The roar of the waves proclaims His might. The smell of the salt in the air, the feel of the soft sand beneath my feet, and the cool mist all refresh me. When Jesus was on earth, He must have loved the sea also. The Bible tells several stories where He’s on the sea or at the beach. Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee when He called two fisherman, Peter and Andrew, to be His disciples, making them fishers of men. In Matthew 8:24–27, Jesus was on the boat asleep when the disciples became afraid and woke him. A storm was threatening to sink the boat, and Jesus calmed the wind and the waves, unleashing His power on the sea. Jesus didn’t stop there . . . He walked on the water. And after Jesus was resurrected, He stood on the beach at dawn, but the disciples did not recognize Him. They had been out all night, fishing without a single catch. He told them to cast their nets to the right side of the boat, and their nets became full. A miracle on the beach! Time after time, Jesus uses the backdrop of the sea to reveal His love to humanity. The Bible describes His love for us as being deeper than the ocean. The beach proclaims His majesty, His presence, and the depth of His love. Let the vastness of the ocean and the beauty of His creation remind you again today that His love for you is fathomless.
PRAYER:
This prayer is from the “Carmina Gadelica” six volumes of prayers, hymns, blessings, songs, proverbs, and literary folkloric poems from the Gaelic-speaking regions of Scotland.
God the Father, all-powerful, all loving,
Jesus, the Son of tears and sorrow,
With thy co-assistance, O Holy Spirit!
The Three-One, ever-living, ever-mighty, everlasting,
Who brought the Children of Israel through the Red Sea,
And Jonah to land from the belly of the great creature of the ocean,
Who brought Paul and his companions in the ship,
From the torment of the sea, from the sorrow of the waves,
From the great gale, from the heavy storm,
Protect us and shield and sanctify us,
Be seated, O king of the elements, at our helm,
And lead us in peace to the end of our journey. Amen.
Pathways Press.com 