Deep Waters

Psalm 42:7-8 says  “Deep calls to deep at the noise of thy waterspouts; all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.  Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me and my prayer unto the God of my life.” God has been likened with a voice like a waterfall.  In Revelation 1:15 it says His voice is “as the sound of many waters” and again in Psalm 29 it says “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thundereth; the Lord is upon many waters.” 

I saw a picture of a free diver and God began to speak to me about the deep water and a deep dive.  Free diving is deep diving without the use of modern devices to give the diver oxygen.  Their object is to see how deep they can go while holding their breath.  This practice was used in ancient time by divers looking for sunken treasures or pearls.  Today freediving is a recreational and competitive sport governed by its own ruling bodies and various records have been set by individuals for the deepest dives.  These dives usually involve descending on a weighted line and inflating a balloon to return to the surface.

The body goes through several changes underwater when free divers hold their breath.  The more relaxed the diver is the better because the body will be using less oxygen.  The organs (particularly the heart rate) drastically slows down to conserve oxygen as well.  The blood in the body goes to all the vital organs to preserve life.  Even just washing ones face in water stimulates that blood flow.

I considered the saying “Still waters run deep” and I felt like God said “You have to slow down to go deep with me.”  Just like the body has to slow down even to a heartrate less than that of a comatose state to go into deep water, a believer who wants to go deep in God has to slow down.  This does not meaning slowing in obedience to God or prayer, but it means slowing down from the world and the cares of the world.  That is the preoccupations, activities, duties and busyness that can cause you to expend vital energy and resources on insignificant matters.  This means having all your energies and focus zeroing in on what is important:  Intimacy with the Father.  Jesus goes as far as to say “Take no thought” in Matthew 6:31.  He was speaking about getting distracted by daily life—even about clothing and food.  He said our full concentration should be this:  “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Think about the familiar example of Mary and Martha.  Martha was so busy and distracted.  She was spending so much energy on the preparation of the meal that she missed what the occasion was all about:  being with Jesus.  Jesus had to gently take her aside and remind her in Luke 10:42 (only) “One thing is needful; and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” We too can “miss” what God has for us and our kingdom assignment in our day if we do not slow down and save our time and thoughts for the Lord.  Only what is done for God counts; the rest is forgotten and futile.

I also felt like God said Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you and through the rivers they will not overflow you.”  And again in Song of Solomon 8:7“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.” Waters in the Bible can also refer to trouble.  David spoke of it in 2 Sam 22:5 even referring to it as “the waves of death” and “floods of ungodly men” when he faced mutiny and battle with the Philistines.  Jonah had difficulty when he got swallowed by a whale due to his own disobedience.  He said in 2:3-5 “The floods surrounded me” and “the waters compassed me about even to the soul; the deep closed me round about.”

In trouble, both David and Jonah began to look to God.  Jonah 2:7 says “When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord.” David said in 2 Samuel 22:17 “He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.” Not only do the waters of life cause use to remember God and call on him like no other time, but they also give us a testimony on the other side of how God brought us out.  God’s love is so strong for us and in us that if we have a relationship with Him, no waters or trouble can drown out that love. 

Finally, somehow, also, God is like that water.  His voice is like waterfalls.  A waterfall has so much power , so much energy and force that it overwhelms and sweeps away everything in its path.  To try to stand against the might of His voice and the force of His waterfalls is foolish indeed.  God is in the heavens and does as he pleases (Psalm 115:3).  God’s water is living.  There is life in it.  It is like up bubbling stream that springs up to eternal life.  God says “Do not try to tame me.  Do not try to control me and tell me what I can and cannot do.”  So many times we want God to fit in a little place in our human minds where He only acts, says and does what works with our experience and theology.  God is God, and we need to let Him have that place in our heart, soul, and mind.  As you spend time with Him let Him rush over you with His waves.  Allow wave upon wave of His revelation, His goodness, His presence to wash over you.  Do not try to limit Him or stop Him.  Do not worry if you get in over your head, cannot see the bottom, and don’t know where you are going.  Let Him carry you.  Let Him move you.  Relax so He can take you deeper in Him than you have ever been before.  Let go of the measurements and depths to which you have limited Him.  Let the weight of His glory take you so deep in Him that no stress, no distraction, no worry or temptation can reach you.  This is the place I want to live.  This is where I want to stay: fully submerged in the presence and power of God.