More from Kim Koratsky

Today’s devotional was inspired by something that my wife and I saw while on vacation at the beach.  While we like both the beach and the mountains, the beach tends to be our happy place.  We try to go to our favorite spot, Seagrove Beach, Florida, at least once a year.  I suspect that once my wife is also retired, we will go more often and maybe even for longer trips than just one week.  The photos are of my wife and me on the beach and one of the many, many sunset photos we have taken.

For us, these trips are opportunities to recharge but, more importantly, when we’re at the beach we feel closer to God.  It is one of those Psalm 23 moments where “He restores my soul” (Ps. 23:3, NRSVUE).  I have a difficult time understanding how someone can see the beauty of a sunset or sunrise over the ocean and not believe there is a God.  As David wrote in Psalm 19:1, “Heaven is declaring God’s glory; the sky is proclaiming his handiwork” (CEB).

I firmly believe that God plants the seeds for the ideas that writers use when preparing their devotionals.  That is why we so often see comments that a devotion spoke to someone.  I hope that today’s devotional touches the person or persons that God intended it to touch.  And for the Upper Room Family, I pray that God brings peace to those reading this who need peace, comfort to those who need comfort, wisdom to those who need wisdom, and healing to those who need healing.