Something About the Shore

By Cynthia Ruchti –

I know I’m not the only one who could sit for hours staring off into the water. Big water. The Great Lakes. The Atlantic. The Pacific. The Gulf of Mexico…

Anytime a vacation or conference takes us near a wide expanse of water, I always feel we’re leaving the spot too soon, as if to walk away from the shore is an interruption of something vitally important.

I was born in a Pacific coast town, but moved inland with my mother just a few days later. Far inland. To the heart of the Midwest.

It’s not just the connection to my birthplace that draws me to the shore. It’s more than just liking water. It’s beyond a fascination with waves and tides.

Today, I think I figured out part of the pull. I reread a verse I’ve seen before, but landed on it this time as if spreading a beach blanket for a prolonged visit to the water’s edge.

Isaiah 51 expresses God’s promises about the endurance of His salvation. “Pay attention to me, my people; listen to me, my nation…My salvation is on its way, and my arm will judge the peoples. The coastlands hope for me; they wait for my judgment” (Isaiah 51:4-5 CEB).

Just a few verses before the passage that reminds us the earth will wear out like clothing, we’re given this beautiful picture of the shoreline itself longing for Christ’s coming. Whatever a theologian would say about it, I gained a deeper understanding of why I feel so at home near big water. The coastlines hope for Him. They long for His return. We share that in common.

The whisper of the waves as they kiss the shore says, “Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus.” Just like the pulse of my heart.

Romans 8 affirms that the whole of creation groans with a longing we usually attribute to humans awaiting their answer, their salvation.

The next time I’m given the opportunity to linger near the water’s edge, I’ll understand a little better why staring out across the vastness of the sea resonates with an inner “watching and waiting.”

PRAYER: Father God, I’m amazed every day that even after years of digging into Your Word, there’s still more, always more to learn, more to grab onto, more to explore. Thank You for the reminder that I’m not alone in the pulsing anticipation for the future You’ve prepared for those of us who love You and follow Your plan. Glorious expectation that surges like the waves of the sea.

“…creation itself will be set free from slavery to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of God’s children” (Romans 8:21 CEB).