Sand on the Seashore

“Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance […] God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore.”—1 Kings 4:20, 29 NASB

Standing on a beach, we see sand in every direction. Each grain seems immeasurably tiny, with hundreds, perhaps thousands, in just a handful. Pondering the expanse of the beach, the volume of sand seems beyond counting.

Researchers at the University of Hawaii actually tried to calculate the number of grains of sand on earth. They estimated that the earth has roughly 7.5 quintillion grains of sand! (Each quintillion represents a 1 followed by 18 zeros!)

This number defies our grasp. But this vastness is how the Bible describes God’s unlimited nature. The comparison was used to describe His blessings for Abraham, and how He would greatly multiply his seed as the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17).

The Bible uses this comparison twice in describing Israel during Solomon’s reign. They were as “numerous as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance.” And God gave Solomon wisdom “like the sand that is on the seashore.”

The picture is of blessings extending in every direction beyond what we can imagine. Paul expressed this truth when he wrote how God could “do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).

How easily we can limit God! We restrict ourselves to what we can imagine. These are moments to ponder the sand on the seashore: Truly, there is no limit to what He can do. There are no limits to His wisdom and power.

Reflection Question: In which areas have you been tempted to limit God recently?