The Pink Beach

Walking one Sabbath morning on the island road, I came to a little path leading to a very beautiful beach beside a luxury resort. The beach was separated from the hotel by a rock formation high enough to serve as a wall. At the other end of the beach there was a rocky cliff, having little caves and openings to pass through to another beach. It was almost midmorning; still a bit too cool for people to swim, so I was all by myself and enjoyed the quiet hours,
soaking in the loveliness of the scenery before me. All around was so fresh, crisp-cut in sharp lines by the crystal clear air, while the golden ball of the higher and higher rising sun bathed everything in its warming rays.

It was sheer delight to stroll on the beach while no other steps have yet marked the virgin sand. All was still smooth and untouched from the last tide that had erased every trace from the day before.

Walking thus along, I rejoiced greatly in being on this beautiful spot. Gazing at the endless vast sea I observed with untiring admiration the restless waves hastening to the shore, finally rolling gently along the beach, leaving for a brief moment a silvery film of glistening water on the surface before being absorbed into the sand.

Some dainty, long-legged shorebirds adorned the scene, as they swiftly and silently snapped tiny crustaceans from the edge of the water for breakfast. It was a most inspiring sight – the blue ocean on the one side, palms, sand and beautiful rocks on the other, so that I uttered constant praises to the Lord on high, who made these wonderful things. Everything looked perfect, pristine, satisfying the eye, elevating soul and spirit, invigorating my entire being.

And I imagined Jesus (if He would now live on this earth) walking along here after a night of prayer, as He would take off His sandals to enjoy the softness of the sand and the glory of the scene, to refresh His careworn soul before facing the burdens of the day.

Then I wanted to take a closer look at the sand. Bermuda is famous for its pink-colored beaches, and I desired to examine the myriads of tiny, crushed corals, which give the beaches their lovely pink. As I stooped down, letting my fingers move through the sand, I saw a sharp-edged piece of glass sticking out, and next to it another and another. I thought it foolish and strange that someone would discard a broken bottle on a beach, where people walk barefoot, and a little child may happily throw itself in the sand and fall right on this spot and hurt itself.

Then, as I looked around, I suddenly saw broken pieces of glass sticking out everywhere. And the more I stirred the sand, the more there appeared. I was shocked, to say the least, and extremely saddened by what I had discovered. I could not understand why some mischievous people would do such a thing, and all at once the serenity and beauty of the place was terribly marred and spoiled. This made a deep and lasting impression on me for a long time and reminded me that the work of evil is everywhere you go, being the result of sin that is destroying man and nature.

Then I thought about Jesus how He would hurt His tender feet there – and suddenly it flashed into my mind how often we are hurting Jesus with our sins and rebellion, piercing Him thus just as with real, sharp-edged pieces of glass!

Let us now take a look at this beach in a different way for an object lesson. What happens when Jesus is taking a closer look at us, and His hand stirs up the settled routine of life, to try our patience, faith and selfcontrol?

Some unpleasant situation or a serious problem suddenly confronts us, a most unpleasant incident disrupts our complacency, or some highly offensive words are being hurled at us, hurting darling pride – the list is endless for all kinds of disturbing incidents. Think now and earnestly examine yourself, how you normally react to any sort of disruption. Do you remain calm and controlled, or do you let yourself get upset all over and allow your countenance to
change to express anxiety or sudden anger?

We speak here about ordinary daily matters which might happen any day, anytime, not about tragic events, but which shape and affect us just as well. So, as Jesus stirs His hand in our life, like I stirred the sand, the trouble spots in our character are being uncovered, sticking out in sharp contrast to the character of Christ in bolstering rebellion to show Jesus our hot displeasure.

Resistance and resentment rises up from deep within, the emotions are astir for the old man is still alive, and self, the unyielding king – braces itself in determined obstinacy against the challenging annoyance. Self will not bend, but stubbornly justifies itself, that it is right and all else is wrong, and fortifies itself with an outbreak of ill temper to fight its case.

However, by responding with such resistance we do not realize how much harm we do to ourselves. How entirely we
misunderstand and misconceive the purpose of Jesus, who desires to cleanse us from all iniquity and every stain of sin, so that His likeness might be restored in us. And to accomplish this, He has to teach us lessons in every day circumstances, in trials, temptations, in situations, which challenge our endurance and faith, that we may learn from them to develop a character that will be fit for heaven.

Most of all Jesus Himself personally is by this process our very refuge and strength, for He is our great High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary where we may boldly enter by faith to “obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb. 4:16. How encouraging! But what are His children doing instead? They are impatient, ill-tempered, fault-finding, judging, criticizing, selfish, proud, and upset about any little thing, blind to their real condition, dull of hearing and deaf to correction. Making it thus all very difficult for themselves and wear out God’s forbearance and patience.

“Thou hast made Me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied Me with thine iniquities.” Isa. 43:24.
When we are like this we bring shame to His name, giving Satan occasion to accuse us by pointing his finger to ridicule Christianity, and charging God that He is not able to save His children.

Is this what we are to offer our Lord and Saviour for all His love and incredible sacrifice for us? Our sins have pierced the tender feet and loving hands of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. He suffered for our sake an agony and soul anguish that no human mind is able to comprehend. He paid the penalty for sin that we would deserve, in order to bring eternal salvation to lost mankind; salvation from the slavery of sin to destroy the works of the devil. We are
Jesus’ rightful property, purchased with a price at an infinite cost. We are not our own. l.Cor, 6:19,20. And what do we give in return for all this? We wound the soul of Jesus and grieve His Holy Spirit every time we rebel and transgress. We cannot afford this, salvation had cost too much!

We have no right to be obstinate, selfish, impatient, unkind, unloving, etc. these are the traits of the enemy of Christ, and Jesus says we cannot serve two masters. Matt.6:24. We must decide whom we want to serve and overcome by faith all that what is contrary and offensive to God’s character, if we desire to be saved. When anyone is being tempted to say, “this is the way I am, I cannot change myself,” he is believing a lie from the enemy who wants just this one thing: that you consider yourself a hopeless case, that it is impossible for you to overcome your unholy temper and so on. Satan wants you to remain just as you are to be lost at the end. It is very true you cannot change yourself in your own power, for this very reason we have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ, were baptized and became children of the living God. But what we forget is that our life here until Jesus returns, is a daily battle against our old nature, that strives against the spiritual nature. The solution to the old man in us is that he must decrease and Jesus and His Spirit increase in us. There is the source of strength to overcome, and we receive the power through His Word, that we may read it. Eat it as Jesus said, (John 6:53-56), and apply it to our daily life. The promises of God are for us, and it is our privilege to prove them. The condition for fulfillment is our daily submission to God’s will, obedience to His word, and faith that He will perform what He says.

You need to come to terms with yourself, that you have to make a change; it cannot continue that you experience mostly defeats and are unable to master the annoyances which come along the way, without being overtaken by unsubdued emotions. Examine yourself and dare to acknowledge that you are miserable, wretched, blind and naked (Rev. 3:17), and have nothing to cover your bareness. Accept this condition and see how it really is with you, then will you cry out like Paul when he said, “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Rom.7:24. And fall with a broken heart and a contrite spirit at the feet of Jesus, confessing your utter helplessness. You must indeed tremble for your condition. In doing this you make all heaven rejoice, and honor Jesus your King, for now you desire His righteousness to cover you and His power to change you as you yield yourself to Him. The word of God encourages us to do this very thing: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgiven us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1. John 1:9.

Now you look to Jesus Christ our High Priest and perfect Redeemer, who when He walked on earth was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin, (Hebr.4:15), and is able to succor them that are tempted, and able to save to the uttermost. Heb.2:18; 7:25. Believing these promises, you bring them to Jesus in humble prayer, and ask Him for help against your shortcomings and character defects. Tell Him of all your troubles, how unable you are and how
impossible it is for you to hold back your biting tongue, your irritated temper, your murmuring and complaints at the slightest occasion and how unhappy you are about all this.

Tell Jesus how you hate being that way and how distressed you are because of this, and how very sorry you are that you have disappointed and hurt Him all these times. Tell Him that you do not want to be like this at all, but that you are so helpless and miserable. Pour out all your grievances, cry, weep and spare no words to say everything that burdens your heart. Lay it all at the feet of Jesus and ask Him to take away these unholy traits, that He may uproot the very nature of sin in you and implant His nature and virtues that you may live a victorious life to glorify His name. O what delight will such prayer be in the ears of Jesus, who looks with tender compassion at you, and has been waiting all along to hear this very thing from your lips!

Be sure that such a prayer will be answered in a most wonderful way. It shall become a reality what God says in His word in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call upon Me, and I will answer thee, and shew you great and mighty things which thou knowest not.” All your wretchedness He will turn into joy, your weakness into strength, as a new power controls your feelings, actions and reason. You walk in the Spirit and when temptation arises you are alert, watchful and immediately perceive the danger. And instead of resisting and resenting a problem you go on your knees, and yield there any ill feeling that may come up and hand them over to Jesus to give you victory instead. Through daily prayer you submit to God’s will, and armor yourself with the divine armor of Ephesians 6:10-18.

Thus you will be prepared to meet the foe and any unsettling situation in perfect calmness. Thus you grow in grace and develop the character sanctified by obedience, self-denial and faith. Jesus in you increases, and ego, the tyrant SELF who tormented you all these years decreases and dies out, as you die daily to self crucifying the flesh and its works. Jesus is removing the sharp, rough spots of your character one by one and the fruits of His Spirit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance are being seen (Gal.5:22,23). The Spirit of Prophecy tells us that “when the character of Jesus is perfectly reproduced in His people, he will come to claim them as His own.” Sons and Daughters of God, pg. 32.

Shall we not hasten to develop this Christ-like character, so that Jesus can at last come and take us home with Him to heaven? And what will this be, standing with Jesus on the glorious sea of glass, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb (Rev. 15:3,2), the song of personal experience and victory of deliverance from sin!

There Jesus shall look with immeasurable joy upon His precious children who have overcome every defect and sin, and have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. He shall raise His loving arms and shout through the heavens and the universe to proclaim His ownership of the redeemed: “Behold, I and the children of man, which God had given Me!” Heb.2: 13.

Be not discouraged or disheartened at any backsliding and weakness! Look constantly forward and upward and say like Paul in Philippians 3:12: “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after… this one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forth to the things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” With this in mind you are destined to win the prize – Jesus and eternal life!

By Edda Tedford,
Kelowna, B.C.