The Secret Beach

On the north shore of Kauai is a rocky point, the northernmost place in the Hawaiian islands, on the tip of which sits a classic, white lighthouse from which there is a stunning vista of hillsides covered in birds (mostly Red-footed Boobies and albatrosses) and of the lava-rock strewn coast. To the west is Kauapea Beach, known colloquially as the Secret Beach. From the lighthouse you can view that beach and the magnificent waves crashing upon it’s rocks hundreds of feet below.

You can't truly appreciate the beach from afar, however.  To experience the sound of the surf and beauty of the exposed lava, you must be on it.  From the lighthouse you are a mere observer; but, on the beach, you are immersed. 

But there is a reason the beach is a secret: It’s hard to get to and, thus, infrequently visited.  To get there you need a map (to find it) and to make a steep, rugged and (if it has rained, as it often does on Kauai) slippery, fifteen minute walk down an embankment so densely wooded that you have no view  of the beach until you are almost upon it.

God has created another "secret beach" for those who have come to know Him as their Lord and Savior.  It, too, can be viewed from a distance; but it is infinitely  better up close. You get to it by using the map He has given you, His Word.  (He also provides a  personal guide to this beach, His Holy Spirit.)  But, as with the beach in Hawaii, it takes effort to get there.  You can't experience the power and majesty of God displayed there unless you make an exertion.  And, as with the Secret Beach, you may not see your destination until you arrive. You may have to walk a long and difficult path, by faith alone, before it comes into view.

As with the Secret Beach the trek is well worth the effort.  The pain of the journey won't only be over when you arrive, it will have produced a great harvest of blessings - blessings that you will not have had but for the pain you take to have them.  

And, unlike the Secret Beach, you won't have to trudge back up the hill to go home. You will be home!

"For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess."  Deut. 30:16


Do you know someone who is suffering physical or emotional pain who would be encouraged by this blog? Then please send them the link by clicking the envelope below, where you can also share it on Twitter and Facebook.