Cameron Marvin
Cameron Marvin

In North Africa, there’s a place where the Sahara Desert spills into the Atlantic Ocean. Two enormous ecosystems collide, with death and life standing toe to toe. It’s a life-changing place.

My first experience there was in a taxi, journeying through southern Morocco. At first the visual contrast between death and life was offensive to me. I railed against God for dividing the world into places of life and death. The Holy Spirit interrupted my accusation by prompting me to “look at the ripples in the sand.” At that moment, the wind blew, and the sand moved.

It wasn’t until years later that I learned of the connection between the desert and the ocean. When the Saharan winds blow westward, the Atlantic literally glows with new life. The dead organisms in the sand contain all the necessary nutrients for the ocean’s phytoplankton. That wind brings death to life!

Sometimes it’s helpful to be reminded that creation bears witness to the Creator. And whether you’re navigating the mundane rhythms of life or going through the shake-ups of illness, death or loss: God is already at work making “all things new” (Rev. 21:5, NKJV).

Look at the ripples in the sand, and bear witness to what He is already doing.

Prayer & Reflection

  1. Pray for eyes to see and ears to hear what God is doing all around you, even as we continue to face a pandemic and uncertainty.
  2. Pray for the Holy Spirit to move in overlooked places and in forgotten people, including those in your community.
  3. Remember that God’s words are “true and faithful” (v. 5). Rejoice in all that God has done for you in the past year.
  4. Let’s remember to pray for Foursquare Missions workers’ ongoing ministry among refugees in the Middle East. Pray that many people would experience Jesus’ love as they receive physical aid and spiritual care.

Share your thoughts. See comments below, and add your own.

is the senior pastor of Theophilus Church (Hawthorne Foursquare Church) in Portland, Ore.
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