Jesus is our Shoreline.

Speaking to His people through the prophet Jeremiah, God asks a simple question:

“Have you no respect for me?
    Why don’t you tremble in my presence?”

God’s people, Israel, had messed up terribly, trying to make it through life without God.  Because of this they were suffering heavily and God was warning them that there was more to come.

And so, God tells them,

“I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set.”

– Jeremiah 5:22 (NLT)

God’s point was that no matter how badly the storms may become He is still in control.  He sets the boundaries of the winds and waves,  providing a shoreline of safety to those who will seek Him.

In life we all struggle with wanting to do things our own way instead of surrendering ourselves to God’s ways.  Then, when the storms of life visit us we find ourselves making poor choices under pressure that often make our situations even worse than they were before.

But God is still in control.

So, when we find ourselves in the middle of life’s storms, bobbing up and down in its currents and rip tides, taking on water, we look for the safety of land.  And standing on the shoreline, calling us to safety is God’s Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Isn’t that what church is supposed to be?  A place to safely gather with others who struggle with life’s storms.  A place to rest in the promises of a God who is in control and has provided just what we need to make it.  A place where life makes sense and is filled with meaning and purpose in spite of all of our mistakes.

This is the meaning behind our name: Shoreline.  Here, Jesus stands, arms open wide, welcoming God’s children home.