n her younger days, my mom could swim like a fish. But only under one condition: The water had to be shallow! She was afraid of deep water!

There was only one time that I ever saw my mother swim in the deep end of a swimming pool. We were vacationing in Spain at the time, at a resort that we had never been to before, and when I glanced out over the pool, there she was, in the deep end!

I was astonished by her boldness. What had transformed her? I decided to ask her about it. Major mistake!

“Don’t be silly,” she replied. “You’re trying to scare me!”

“No!” I assured her. “You really ARE in the deep end!”

She must have sensed my seriousness, because she slowed her swimming enough to look down into the pool. Suddenly the realization hit her. Her arms and legs began to flail and her body began to sink. I had to jump into the water and come to her rescue!

I don’t suppose that my mother will ever experience the joys of swimming in a vast ocean . . .

Many people claim that Christianity is shallow. Is this possibly because we are afraid to swim in the deep ocean of God’s grace? Is it possible that we are satisfied with dabbling weekly in the birdbath, and never truly getting to know the One who avidly pursues us?

Jesus often uses the example of marriage in referring to His relationship with us. He is the Bridegroom, and we are the bride. Just try to imagine the following scenario: You are married, and your wife suddenly decides that life is too good to be restrained by marital obligations. She doesn’t want a divorce, but she decides that seeing you once a week is enough.

You would be sad, but you would look forward to those couple of hours.

Your first encounter starts off really well, with your wife singing about your virtues. But when you try to say something to her, she puts her hand up and inserts a CD in the stereo. The next hour is quickly eaten up by someone talking about marital bliss, then you sadly watch as your spouse gets up, a big smile pasted on her face, and heads out the door. “I had a great time,” she calls out. “See you next week!”

Would your marriage last in such conditions?

Of course not. Yet this is how we tend to see our relationship with God. We dabble in the bird bath instead of swimming in the ocean.

Friends, spiritual bird baths will not sustain us! Jesus says: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Rev 3:20 NIV) He wants to have a personal relationship with you. He wants you as His personal friend. Are you willing to spend time with Him and discover how much He loves you? You will soon discover that shallow birdbath experiences are far from satisfying, especially when you discover the real joy of swimming in the ocean of His grace!

P. S. See you tomorrow for another birdbath experience! May it lead you into the deep waters of knowing God intimately.

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “Tabernacle Experiences” devotional series, please click here.)