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Have you ever picked seashells by the seashore? If so, then you're aware that many of the shells can be in small pieces, broken and crushed. You might even be lucky enough to find a shell that is absolutely perfect, undamaged and without blemish.
Recently my wife and I were doing just that. We were hunting for seashells amidst the frothy surf as waves rolled into the shoreline. It wasn't long before my wife had a small collection of pretty ocean treasures in her hands. Most of the shells we found were a fraction of their original size and beauty. Some were smooth, while others were grooved and differed in shape and color.
As we sauntered along, my wife mentioned how the shell pieces reminded her of us, Gods broken people. All of us with fractured lives and weighed down with personal baggage and sin. As she browsed through the shells, much of their natural beauty was covered by sand until we washed them clean.
No doubt you can see where I'm going with this?
Further along the beach we found that perfect shell! It was pure and unbroken, a further reminder of our need for a perfect Savior; that only our belief in and acceptance of Jesus Christ can help put the broken pieces of our lives back together again and grant us healing, peace and salvation.
As I washed away the sand from the broken shells, my wife kept the perfect shell in her hand. When we combined them all, the broken with the unbroken, we couldn't help but think of how our messy lives are washed clean and made whole because of the cross and the blood shed by our Savior. He shields us, protects us and covers us with his loving arms.
Check out these verses:
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9 NIV)
"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols." (Ezekiel 36:25 NIV)
Is my life a broken shell? Yes; Am I covered in sand? Absolutely; But I know I'm saved by faith in Jesus, washed clean and made whole through the blood of the Lamb. And you my dear friend can be too. Salvation is not rocket science or something you can earn. Salvation is a free gift if only we ask and believe.
Need proof?
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13 NIV)
"I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." (John 10:28 NIV)
So there you have it! Like us, seashells may be broken and dirty, but one thing is certain. Jesus Christ is worth your effort, your time and your sacrifice. And just like the thrill of finding that perfect shell at the beach, an even greater joy awaits those who place their faith in our beautifully perfect Savior.
Amen to that!
Paul Smyth
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