My parents had found a little paradise in a renowned hotel in Southern Florida. Their greatest joy was to be baked to a crisp in the Southern sun, and at the end of the day, my dad would look like an over baked lobster, tender to the touch.
I didn’t share their holiday ambitions, however. To me the azure-tinted waters of the swimming pool were conspicuously inviting. I couldn’t wait to plunge into their depths, to feel the cooling effect of the water on my toasted body. As I prepared myself for that first dive, I happened to notice that most of the swimmers were at the other end of the pool. From where I stood, there were hardly any onlookers. Perfect! I would have this end of the pool all for myself!
Unfortunately, the waters were not crystal-clear enough to show me how shallow they really were! As I dove into the pool, my head hit the bottom and I emerged with a terrible headache and an overwhelming sense of dizziness. I was barely able to pull myself out of the water.
By this time, my parents were at my side. They helped me walk to the car and quickly whisked me off to a recommended chiropractor who spent quite a bit of time muttering over my head that I had encountered a miracle and that I should have been paralysed from the neck down from this accident. I didn’t think much of the miracle business at the time, except to wish that “miracles” weren’t so hard on the head!
This chiropractor was really a wonder. I had been born with a crooked back and I had undergone a myriad of therapies to correct this, without success. However, under the care of this particular chiropractor, not only did he fix my swimming pool problem, but by the end of the week, my back was straightened as well! It seemed that diving into the shallow end of the swimming pool had been for my good after all!
Many years later, I discovered another pool. This one was much deeper than anticipated. In fact, I haven’t yet been able to find its bottom, no matter how deep I dive. No chance of hitting my head with this one, or getting hurt in any other way.
“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:38 NIV)
This verse became my reality, and any time I want to, I can go into the inner depths of my heart, open its portals and find myself facing the out-of-this-world beautiful ocean of God’s grace. And believe me it is more attractive than any pool I have ever encountered! I can plunge into it from any end, and it never ceases to overwhelm me with the presence of the One who has been pursuing me all of my life. Peace engulfs me and the worries of this life immediately evaporate into nothingness. I have discovered however, that this is only possible if I am willing to leave behind the realities of my world and accept the realities of God’s grace.
Never before did I realize that God was available in the inner realms of my being! “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal 2:20 NIV); “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Cor 3:16 NIV)
The beauty of this relationship is foreign to those who are clinging to the harried realities of this world: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him…” (1 Cor 2:9 NIV). This promise can only become a reality if we are willing to let go and let God be God in our life! Take a look at the second part of this verse… “but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” (1 Cor 2:10 NIV)
By diving into that inviting relationship made possible by Jesus, we will discover that God’s ocean of grace has no depth, no width and no height. It’s endless: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:38-39 NIV)
Do you hunger for such a relationship? Come to Jesus and let Him be Lord over your life. Enjoy swimming into the depths of God’s love and experience true rest for your soul.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matt 11:28-30 The Message)
Rob Chaffart
(To access the entire “Tabernacle Experiences” devotional series, please click here.)