Beach Theology

Photo by Micah A. Ponce.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mappix/1116804526/


Today, on vacation at Nags Head, God showed me a truth.

I was at the beach with all four kids. The older three had gone out into the ocean and were playing in the surf. The youngest, at 7 years old, is still a bit afraid and unsure of going into the deep water. At this beach, the sand and shells are pretty rough, and sometimes even sharp, right where the breakers hit. But if you go out past the breakers, the sand turns smooth and comfortable.

I told my son that while he was enjoying the beach, he would enjoy it a lot more if he would follow me further out into the water. But, being afraid of the deeper water, he shook his head, pulled away from me, and refused. "I've got you," I told him. "Just take my hand and you'll be alright. It's even better out there, even though the water is deeper. And I'll be with you the whole time."

Then God said to me, "Do you hear yourself? That's what I've been trying to tell you for a long time. Just take my hand and trust me."

In Ezekiel 47:1-5, the prophet writes:

1 In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side. 2 The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the water flowing out through the south side of the east gateway.

3 Measuring as he went, he took me along the stream for 1,750 feet[a] and then led me across. The water was up to my ankles. 4 He measured off another 1,750 feet and led me across again. This time the water was up to my knees. After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist. 5 Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to walk across. It was deep enough to swim in, but too deep to walk through.
God desires to lead us into greater things, deeper spirituality, and increased blessing in our lives. Ezekiel found that the deeper he went with God, the more he experienced God’s best. My son showed me the same thing today. He never did trust me enough to go into the deeper water today. It's all right. We've got plenty of time to work on that. I wonder—how much time do I have for God to work with me?