Since we’re all friends here, can I share a ‘secret’ with you? I’m not the best swimmer. My parents never taught me how to swim, and I only received a few lessons given to me by an adult when I was in junior high which taught me the basics of floating and freestyle swimming. I swim well enough to get by, but I’ve never been confident enough in my abilities to want to take my kids swimming alone if the water’s too deep.
I’m guessing in a group this size, I’m not the only one who isn’t a fan of deep waters. If I can firmly plant my feet on the ground, I’m fine. But if you get me in over my head or when the waves get too high, fear immediately strikes. But ironically, God doesn’t call us to stay in the shallow end of life. God doesn’t call us to stay where we can stand on our own two feet and don’t really need Him. He doesn’t want us going through life where He’s a nice to have but isn’t needed. God calls us to go deep.
It’s only in the deep waters when we CANNOT and WILL NOT survive on our own that our faith grows, and we get to meet God; possibly for the first time. It’s here in the deep waters where we are utterly dependent on Him and yet, He tells us to rest. Over and over and over again God tells us that we are not in the deep waters alone, but with Him. He promises us that He WILL be with us. That the deep waters will not overtake us. In fact, He often allows us to experience life in the deep so that we learn, personally, He REALLY IS trustworthy and that He REALLY IS who He says He is.
Ironically, after you have gone through the deep waters with God, you don’t want to go back to life in the shallow end. You hunger for the dependency and personal connection and relationship that is developed only in the deep waters of life.
If you’re walking through the deep waters or fearful that God is calling you to go into them with Him, can I offer you some encouragement? I want to encourage you to TRUST that God loves you and wants the VERY best for you. He wants you to realize that EVERYTHING you have; EVERYTHING you are; EVERYTHING you will have is because of Him & FROM Him. I want to encourage you that while it may feel scary and unsure and hard, He wouldn’t ask you to trust Him here in the deep if He wasn’t able to carry you through it for YOUR good and His glory. I want to encourage you from someone who is currently in deep waters, well over my head with no end in sight, that God has NEVER failed me. God has shown me such kindness, gentleness, compassion, and a personal love like I have never known while I’m here in the deep waters. While some days are difficult, His promises are true that whatever you’re facing will NOT burn you nor will the flames consume you. Please, trust Him in that.
As anyone who has ever scuba dived will tell you, there is abundant life that can only be experienced when you go deep.