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Power Of Staying in the Shallows
Key Scripture: "He brought me through the waters and
the water came up to my ankles. Again...He brought me through the waters; the
waters came up to my knees...again, He measured the depths and the water came
up to my waist. Again He measured and it
was a river that I could not cross, for the water was too deep, water in which
one MUST SWIM, a river that could not be crossed." Ezekiel 47: 3-5
Power Point:
When my son David, was small, we introduced him to the water in his
grandparent's pool. He wasn't having it.
He screamed until we took him out. So we decided to "start
small". We started in the shallow
end where there were some steps until he finally got used to that. He would play with his toys on the steps but
that was definitely as far as he intended to go. His dad would pick him up and hold him close
to his chest and slowly walk more deeply
into the water. Then he would dip into
the deeper water. David was definitely
NOT having any of that. Finally, they
invented "floaties"-those wonderful inflatable floats that fit right
on his arms. You absolutely could not go under the water with those things on.
The Floaties allowed David to get used to the feel of the water and eventually
of course, he lost his fear and began to swim.
In fact, today he trains for Triathalons and swims it to win it! On the other hand, his four year old daughter Hannah, has been ready to swim from the beginning. It should be interesting to see that fearlessness play out in her life.
The
Christian life is like learning to swim if you think about it. In Ezekiel, we see the River of God flowing
from the Throne of God. In the beginning, you usually just dip your toe in the water,
then the water comes up to your ankles, then your knees, until suddenly it's so
deep that you have to swim or you will sink!
When you float, the water will hold you up, but you won’t make much
The
truth is, that God will hold you close but at some point He will begin to dip
into the depths of the water so that you can learn to swim on your own. That's vital, and that's His purpose. Swimmers are prepared when the waters seem
too deep. They use their skills to navigate the deeper waters knowing that
their Father is right there with them, and if the current of those waters
become too strong, then He will clasp you to His chest and the waters will not
overflow them.
Beloved,
we were never meant to stay in the "shallows" of the River of God. His plan is to teach you to
become comfortable with the water and eventually to swim and not sink. Even
now, somewhere in your life circumstances you are being given an opportunity to
learn to swim. God knows that you can't rely on staying in the shallows and He
knows that floaties won't help you navigate the rough waters. He wants you to
learn to swim before you get to the rough waters. It's so much easier
that way.
Perhaps you've decided to stay in the shallows
in the area of developing the Fruit of the Spirit. You never try to grow your
spirit man so you are always dog paddling through relationships. You might be
putting on your floaties to help you swim in Faith. You simply refuse to take
the time to do the necessary training to develop your faith muscles. What is the area of your life where your
heavenly Father is offering you the opportunity to learn to swim on your own?
Isn't it time to come out of the
shallows and learn to swim into all that God is training you for?
Are you ready to sink or to swim?
Power Thought:
You were never intended to stay in the shallows
Beloved, you were always meant to swim vigorously in the river of God. And
enjoy it.
Copyright © 2014, Suzanne Roberts, Unpublished Work
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