God’s Luxurious Love is Free
Every footstep displaces a fine spray of granules as I cross the sugar-white sand. I stop to dig my toes into its warmth. Soft. Deep. Abundant. Yielding. All good words, but not quite right.
Luxurious. The unique sand on the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico is nothing short of luxurious. Luxurious is a word often associated with the word expensive, but in this case, the luxury is free.
Scientists estimate the number of sand grains on Earth today at a7.5 sextillion. That’s 75 followed by 17 zeros! God’s love is like the earth’s sand—impossible to measure.
How precious ate your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!
(Psalm 139:17-18 NLT)
The powder along Florida’s panhandle consists of tiny quartz particles washed from the Appalachian Mountains centuries ago. Years of tidal friction against the quartz created the ultra-fine grains deposited on today’s beaches.
I scoop a handful and the silky stuff and let it slide through my fingers. God was there when the rivers first carried the quartz down the mountainside and He is present in the results today. He orchestrated the entire process. I settle on my towel and wiggle around until I’m comfortable. Sand is forgiving, never-ending, and abundant. Just like our Savior’s love.
God’s love for us is visible throughout Creation. No matter where you are today, take a moment and let His luxurious love wash over you. You’ll realize how rich you are.
God’s love for us is visible throughout Creation. No matter where you are today, take a moment and let His love wash over you. You’ll realize how rich you are. #GodsLove #Devotion Click To Tweet
A wonderful comparison of those endless grains of sands to God’s Love that never ends and surrounds us! thanks, Candyce!
Wow. What an amazing, luxurious love Christ gives us. And we can receive it so easily. Beautiful message Candyce
“Luxurious Love.” That sounds wonderful. Having marveled at the beauty of the Gulf Coast, I think your analogy is most apt. It’s comforting to know God’s love is beyond our ability to comprehend and it never fails. Thank you, Candyce.
It is comforting to know, Katherine. It’s also comforting to accept we aren’t meant to comprehend and understand everything of God.
“Sand is forgiving, never-ending, and abundant. Just like our Savior’s love.”
What a lovely and beautiful image you’ve woven together here. Thank you for reminding us to appreciate God’s love and the luxurious gifts to us.
We do often take God’s gifts for granted, don’t we Joshua? Thanks for commenting.
Yes. Ours for the asking, isn’t it Ms. Candyce. Another delightful thought ma’am. God’s blessings.
Thank you J.D. Be well.
I can’t help but think of the verse that says, “See what great love the Father has lavished upon us.” Sounds luxurious doesn’t it? I’ll think of your post when I visit the beach and dig my toes deep down into the sand. Blessings, friend.
“Lavish” is a great word to pair with God’s love — as both an adjective and a verb. Thanks for reminding me of 1 John 3:1, Terri!
As a fellow beach lover, I smiled throughout your post. I especially loved, “Sand is forgiving, never-ending, and abundant. Just like our Savior’s love.” God is so good and has blessed us with so much beauty all around us. And there is nothing as wonderful as His love for us!
True! And God designed creation with us in mind to demonstrate His love for us.
Candyce, your description of the sand as luxurious is so fitting and an amazing way to portray God’s love. We are on the way to Key West. I’ll think of this post with every step I take.
I hope you enjoy Key West! Are you visiting any of the other islands? One year, we drove to Key West from Miami and passed the other little islands, which was fun. But Key West is definitely the main attraction. I really enjoyed visiting Hemingway’s house/museum while there.
Candyce, I love this analogy. God’s love is measureless and yes luxurious. You’ve painted a memorable picture.
Thank you,
Thank you, Lisa. God speaks to me through nature – especially at the beach.