I am standing on the beach this morning on the last day of our Junior High Beach Retreat.  Like many of you, I have been in this position many times.  It  is an  incredible sight to, first of all, see all of our junior high young people spread out on the beach listening to the “Silent Sounds” on the CD that we have prepared for them, and to see them spending time in their Bibles. On the other side, you see the ocean. You are always touched by the vastness and the complexity of God’s creation.  There is something about looking out at the horizon that is a clear reminder of the creative and redemptive power of God.  If the Lord can create and sustain such a beautiful creation, then certainly He can deal with the issues in your life and in my life.
I have to tell you that I needed that this morning. I need to be reminded that there is not any challenge or any problem or decision that I face that is larger than He is, and yet even as I look at the wonder of the ocean, I realize that God is in control of every drop, and at the same time, I turn around and remember that He is so concerned about every one of these young lives.  It is so easy for us to live with our heads down, looking at the circumstances of the moment, when we so desperately need to keep our eyes fixed on the horizon of what God has for us.