Breakfast sampler....
Introduction
THE BEACH BEFORE ME
“Sing to the Lord a
new song, His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to
the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in
them.”
Isaiah 42:10 NIV
“Instead of
complaining that God has hidden Himself, you should give Him thanks
for having revealed so much of Himself.”
Blaise
Pasca
Jesus loves the beach!
Follow the footsteps of Jesus and you’ll get sand in your shoes.
Walk where Jesus walked and you’ll be no stranger to the shore. Abide
with the Son and your skin will be bronze. The reason is simple. Jesus
loves the beach, and He wants you to love it too.
There’s no doubt about it. When Jesus began His ministry, he headed
for the water’s edge! It’s no secret that our Savior selected the
seaside town of Capernaum as the headwater for the streams of
life-giving water that would pour forth from His teaching, His life, and
His ministry.
Take a closer look at the ministry of
Jesus and you’ll often see Him along the shoreline. He
teaches by the sea, (Mark 2:13); He calls His disciples by the
sea (Matthew 4:18,19); He walks on the sea, (Matthew 14:22-27);
He calms the sea, (Mark 4:35-41); He catches fish by the sea,
(Luke 5:1-11); He commissions by the sea (John 21:15-17); He
sends His disciples out by the sea, (John 21:18-22); and yes, in
His resurrection glory, He serves his disciples a bountiful
beach breakfast by the sea, (John 21:9-14).
God wants to take you to a new place.
Leave the familiar fatigue and the cluttered chaos of your
not-so-smoothly ticking days. Prepare to pause and commune
with your Creator. Discover the water’s edge, and see it
again for the very first time. Cast your gaze upon the
seascape with freshly polished lenses and a refocused vision.
Learn how to catch an unforgettable glimpse of the destiny that
God has prepared for the rest of your days.
Prepare to spend a week of worship at the
water’s edge. Dorothea Lange spent her life as a
professional photographer. She said, “The camera is an
instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.”
The pages that follow are your spiritual camera. This
volume is filled with spiritual snapshots that will teach you
how to see the seascape with a clearer focus and a sharper
spiritual clarity. The goal of this work is to teach you
to experience all the sights and sounds of the seascape with
spiritual eyes, so you can visualize the glory of God at the
water’s edge without the aid of this book. Just as a
shaded lens shields your eyes from the glare and sharpens your
vision, these pages will allow you to visualize the beach with
breathtaking clarity.
The shape of the shoreline may not have
changed. You will have changed. Your perspective
will have changed. You will recognize the glory of God all
around you. As the rays of the sun tan your skin, the
complexion of your life will be changed by the sea. You’ll
leave this place with a beautiful new perspective, and you’ll
always see different facets of God’s goodness and greatness with
every visit to a seaward vista.
The beach is beckoning. The sun is
rising higher in the sky. Winter’s grip is dying, and the
promise of spring and summer has awakened our hopes for a fresh
new season. The cycle of the seasons is a comforting
constant. The time is now. It is time to leave the
familiar and those things that bring fatigue.
Our lives are so crowded with the clutter of a relentless busyness.
Work, school, housework, homework, the yard, the bills, the agendas, the
to-do lists, the interruptions, and the headaches have taken their
toll. It’s time to leave the clutter and journey to a salutary place.
It’s time to experience a fresh new vision of God at the place where the
water meets the shore.
As the sun rises higher and burns hotter,
the temperatures are steadily rising. We’re being called
back to a place that we’ve known before. There is one
place where we must return. Consider how different life
can be at the edge. Ours is a journey to a sacred place
where the land embraces the sea. It’s sacred because of
the spiritual connection it offers.
The sensations of the shore combine to create a symphony for the
soul. The music invites us to connect with the Creator God who has
fashioned this wonderfully refreshing and invigorating place. The globe
is adorned with thousands of different venues and vantage points, a
cornucopia of coastlines and a bounty of beaches and shorelines from
which to choose. Find your favorite place where the water and the land
converge. God has sovereignly placed these boundary lines for a
purpose. Enjoy fully what God has intended for this season
and this place in your life.
The pages that follow are more than the
random musings of a middle-aged beach-comber. Even
more satisfying than the feeling of warm, soft sand filtering
between your toes, these pages are your sisal sack filled with
treasures from the sea.
The Savior who sculpted the seas is the Creator who has crafted you.
So whether your journey takes you to the Outer Banks, Kenya’s Jadini
Beach, or the breakers off Maui, Christ is calling you to
commune with Him. He is offering something greater than
all the seascapes of the world; He is offering an eternal
friendship and a continuing companionship that will outlast
eternity. There is divinity that shapes your destiny and
guides your footsteps on this earth.
As a conch shell echoes the sound of the
sea, the thoughts, meditations, encouragements, conversations,
and contemplations in the pages that follow will echo how
wonderfully God has crafted this world; and, even more
importantly, how marvelously He has crafted your life to bring
Him pleasure. Yes, your time at the shore will offer real
refreshment, real relaxation, and a genuine connection with the
people around you. Most importantly, it will be a time to
reconnect and enjoy the Lord’s working and presence in your
life.
Oceanfront Property of the Soul
No matter where you are in proximity to the beach, Breakfast on
the Beach is your oceanfront property of the soul. The most
valuable and coveted real estate along the coast is the highly-prized,
much sought after “oceanfront” property. There are a variety of
nice-sounding names to describe the lesser vistas at the seashore. They
may call it “ocean-side” or even “ocean-view” or even “ocean access;”
but only “oceanfront” has the clear and complete, unobstructed access
and view of the shoreline. Only the oceanfront property gives you that
most cherished of all vantage points, a direct line of sight to the
beach. When you’re enjoying the comfy confines of oceanfront property,
you have the best perspective on all the sights and sounds and
sensations of the seashore. Nothing blocks or obstructs your view. You
can see it all. Be well assured that this most desired of all seaside
locations is by far the most expensive. Direct access and visibility
have a hefty price tag. An oceanfront view will cost you dearly.
No matter where you are in proximity to the beach, Breakfast on
the Beach is your oceanfront property of the soul. The pages that
follow will give you the greatest, most valuable of all perspectives on
the place where land and sea meet. You will gain a glorious,
unobstructed, unhindered view of the glory of God and the greatness of
the things that He desires to do in your life and your world. Once
you’ve experienced the view from the oceanfront property, you will know
it is a direct line of sight to the glory of God! Open your eyes, and
enjoy the view.
As each new day unfolds, you will discover different facets of God’s
creation that you and the Lord can enjoy together.
Uncharted Waters
You are embarking upon an exhilarating
journey. The beach is more than a place for sunburns, surfing, and
seafood. It’s a place to grow, and it’s a place to expand your vision
of the world and your place in it. Open your heart and you’ll feel
the love of God envelope these smoothly ticking days. Open your hands
and you’ll receive wonderful treasures during your spiritual sojourn at
the boundary of the sea.
Like an explorer journeying into exciting, uncharted territory,
you’ll need a compass and a journal to record your daily discoveries.
Your compass is the Word of God. Your daily journal is divided into
four sections. Each section will provide you with thought provoking
questions that will help you receive everything that God has for you.
The first journal section is “A Sight to See.” The question asks
“What is God showing me today?” Open your eyes and you will see
the glory of God’s good creation. The second journal section is “A
Shell to Save.” The question asks “What truth is God teaching me
today?” Open your mind and you will better understand how God’s
revelation (His Word) can change the way you live your life. The third
section of the daily journal is “A Wave to Watch;” and asks the
question “What circumstances are affecting my life today?” The
fourth journal section is called “Footprints to Follow.” The
question here is “How is this day going to change the way I live?”
Let these journaling queries gently guide your heart and life, and then
God’s good creation and the power of His word will authenticate His
truth in your life and your circumstances.
Like an intrepid adventurer exploring uncharted waters, these journal
pages will serve as your own personal “Captain’s Log” to record the
insights and inspirations that you experience by the sea. These are
your pages to use as you choose. They are a simple reminder to make the
most of every day you spend at the shore. Like snapshots on a vacation,
these pages are the place for you to record your own thoughts, insights,
and meditations, and; yes, the connection you make with your Creator.
Whether you spread your blanket on the sand for a few fleeting
moments or stake your claim on the beachhead for days without end, let
these pages become your trusted companion by the sea. God desires for
you to hear His voice above the sound of the crashing surf.
Selah by the Seashore
Each chapter closes with one simple,
soothing word. The word is “Selah.” In the vocabulary
of faith, it’s a mysterious word used only rarely by the writers
of scripture; yet beneath the mystery, there is rich meaning.
What are we to make of this mystical and elusive word? Quite
literally, the word Selah was used as a musical or choir notation
that signaled a pause in the music. It means to “pause, reflect, and
to consider what has come before.” It’s like a spiritual speed bump
nudging us to slow down and take a break; pause long enough to ponder
the truths that have just been proclaimed. Selah may be the
poet’s perfect reflection of Psalm 46:10a, “Be still and know that
I am God.” (NIV)
Selah is the silence in the midst of the symphony! A
wonderful moment to let the music soak into your soul. Your experiences
by the sea are intended by God to be a living and breathing Selah
for your soul.
The beach is before you. Your
Creator and His magnificent creation await your arrival.
The long, exhausting night is almost over; and the eastern sky
is beginning to brighten. The ocean’s edge is drawing
near.
Look to the sunrise and let the brilliance of the dawn begin to melt
away the darkened dreariness of your tired body and soul.
It’s the first day of a new beginning. Get ready to receive all that
God has purposed for your life in this sacred season by the sea.
Welcome to the water’s edge! Welcome to the new beginning God has
prepared and purposed for your life.
Breakfast is served.
Selah… |