Do you remember this song? I believe the "Fairfield Four" sang it. What truth it holds! We must always dig a little deep. Love a little harder. Give a little bit more! Another song by "The News Boyz" states, "to have found you, and still be searching for you is the souls paradox of life!"
You can never have enough of Jesus! You should never find your self in a position of complacency and satisfaction with Jesus. Don't get me wrong, you need to be satisfied in Jesus, but this satisfaction should drive you to get more!
In Ezekiel 47:1-12 God is continuing to show Ezekiel very important truths about the temple, its spiritual applications, and meanings to the Church to come. Here we find a prophecy of a time to come, but also a spiritual allegory to Christ's Death, and the tearing of the veil in the Temple.
Ezekiel sees a river flowing down toward the Dead Sea, which is completely contaminated with salt, as a result of God's destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, instead of destruction this time God's sends forth healing waters from the sanctuary to heal the desert, and heal the water in the Dead Sea. Life springs forth, medicinal trees grow, fish return and thrive, and all but the marshes and bogs are completely healed!
I want to draw your attention to the verses in which the angel is measuring the river. The fist 1,000 cubits (21,000 inches or 1,750 feet) was only ankle deep. The second 1,000 cubits was knee deep. The third 1,000 cubits was waste deep. Finally, the fourth 1,000 cubits and beyond was over the head, an uncrossable, swim-able river!
I would like to make a parallel from this with our walk with God!
Lately God has been working on me about my relationship with him, and the amount of control I've given Him over my life. (I need this chastisement once in awhile to keep me on the right road!)
Notice the four different stages of the river, in each of the first three the person wading into the water has control of his actions to a certain extent.
1. Ankle Deep: Here one can get ahold of God, splash around and get really wet, but their feet is still completely grounded, and they can jump out at anytime! Not a very consistent walk with God! You have too much control, and He has very little!
2. Knee Deep: Here it is much the same as above, but the difference is that it is getting harder to just jump out at any moment, and a strong current could sweep you off your feet. The problem here is multiplied from above, because we are cautious about how far in God we are willing to go! Again Jesus doesn't have enough control, and we aren't willing to do "everything" He askes.
3. Waste Deep: Here we can swim a bit, but we can always stand up and walk out. We can let the current take us, but if the going gets too rough we can always get out fairly easily! I think most Christians are here or in the Knee Deep experience. We are still in control of how much we allow ourselves to do for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ! We are sometimes like Ananias and Sapphira who along with the rest of the church felt God dealing with them about their giving, and the need to do more. So, they went and sold a piece of property, and gave it to the Church. However, they conspired together, and kept back a portion for themselves. This wasn't wrong, they had a right to keep some of the money, but in order to save face they lied to the Apostles, the Church and God! The result: They died!
"There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of Death!" (Prov 16)
- How deep is your relationship?
- Are you partaking of the river and trees, or the marshes and reeds that are still full of the salt of God's wrath?
- Are you willing to become a fish and let the man of God catch you?
- Are you willing to lose control, and wade out into waters you can't control yourself in?
- Are you willing to become a new spiritual creation in Christ Jesus? (2 Corinthians 5:17)
It is time for each of us to take a step of faith, and launch out into the deep! There is untold riches, glory, power, healing, faith and love out there! We must only take the first step!
All Things work together for those who love Him, and who are (living there life according to His calling) called according to His purpose! (Romans 8:28)
Jesus knows what's best, even if it doesn't seem like it at first. None of us enjoyed the correction and chastening of our parents, but when we look back we can see that it really was for our good, and we are better for it. So, when we go through the highs and lows or our walk with God, we will look back and see Jesus really does know what is best for us!
I encourage you to dig a little deeper in the storehouse of His love!
(other scriptures to read: Ephesians 2:1-7; 3:14-19 and Romans 12:1-2)
Yours for a deeper relationship with Jesus,
Pastor Fred
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