- Jun 17, 2005
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This illustration appeared in my mind of the ocean and the tides, and the meeting of the ocean and sand. There is some of the beach sand never touched/ or barely touched by the ocean's water edge. Think of the sand as the people who aren't saved untouched/uncleansed by the living water of God (the ocean/God's word). Some beach sand is sun bleached from being exposed to the sun all day and some sand in the dunes are infested w/ briers that are sticky thorns that can be painful if you step on them. The sun-bleached sand and thorns is kind of like people being lost in the world because they have been exposed to so much sin that their lives have become corrupt-that is all they know because they live in it. I see the ocean as God's living water/His holy word and those standing in the water have a personal relationship w/ Christ on some level some deeper than others. I see a painting of a beach and waves rolling into the beach leaving a little hint of foam on the wet sand and people standing side by side w/ their heads tilted downward- standing just shy of the foam not allowing the water's edge touch them and facing them are people standing side by side in the water's edge reaching out their arms so lovingly inviting them to join them on their journey with the Lord. In the sky Jesus' face with tears rolling down and His arms outstretched. The ocean representing the many tears He has cried for us in joy and sorrow, but a place of healing and renewed life. Like the bible, don't we go to God's word to drown our sorrows and bring joy to our hearts? It's our road map to life. God's beauty lives in His creation.
I think most of all of us at one time or another been on the beach and played tag w/ the tides & waves of the ocean. Sometimes we want the water to rush over our feet and then other times we don't want to get our feet wet- not feeling like they have the time to say that prayer, read & memorize a scripture, or even tell God, "I Love You, just because." The more times a person gets their feet wet the stronger their desire becomes to go out a little deeper in the water and face some fears such as a jellyfish crossing your path(in spiritual terms trusting God even deeper to allow yourself to be vulnerable and humble/be a risk taker when it comes to winning a soul for eternity). Think about depths of the ocean and the sand that rests at the bottom of the sea floor. Think about how saturated that sand is w/ water. It was sand once, but no longer sand probably more like mud, and Who is the Potter and who is the clay? He is the Potter and we are the clay. The deeper you go into the ocean the sand conforms to a different state it becomes softer and more moldable, just as we are molded and shaped into God's perfect masterpiece. Our hearts become softer and as we go deeper in our relationship with Him.
Lets go deeper .
Take a hand full of sand and then take a hand full of mud in the other hand with your hands closed turn them over and open them. The sand falls from your hand faster quickly separating where as the mud falls more slowly and for the most part stays together falling in clumps. So far the most part the mud still was united in pieces, but the sand scattered like the sand pile in your hand never existed. The sand that was made from the mud that came from the depths of the ocean sticks together, but the dry sand that has never touched water completely falls apart. So the point is the deeper we are in our walk with the Lord the less likely we are to fall from Him, but the farther away from Him we are more likely we are to fall. I'm not saying it's going to be easy living in His water (truth), but it's worth every step you take. We have to have the living water of God it is the foundation of faith. The further in you go into the ocean (God's word) the deeper you go- the efforts you put forward digging deeper into the truth of His word. There are some areas of the ocean that depth is so deep they have yet been determined. God's word is endless, you can never cease going deeper with God. The scripture has so much to be told and one verse can hold many answers. You may come to tread in waters that seem stagnant to you and you feel you can't go any deeper, but you can. Sometimes you can get stuck in a rut doing things the same everyday. So then you need to stop and possibly take a new direction in your walk with the Lord. It could be simply as changing up your prayer times or devotionals. When you find yourself stuck in the mud and you can't see the fruit producing in your life ask God to redirect you. As silly as it may sound we need to stop and just allow God to speak to us. We need to take the time to hear His voice. It's amazing how much we hear once we stop and listen. Now God allow me to take this small grain of sand and use it for Your glory. I want to walk more closer to You Lord, help us all to stop walking on the surface of Your love and go deeper with You.
Christ called us to be fishers of men. * Matthew 4:19- 19 And He saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Stay weak in His strength!
Written By Leigh Carraway
Copyrighted 2008 (Have permission to use from the author.)
I think most of all of us at one time or another been on the beach and played tag w/ the tides & waves of the ocean. Sometimes we want the water to rush over our feet and then other times we don't want to get our feet wet- not feeling like they have the time to say that prayer, read & memorize a scripture, or even tell God, "I Love You, just because." The more times a person gets their feet wet the stronger their desire becomes to go out a little deeper in the water and face some fears such as a jellyfish crossing your path(in spiritual terms trusting God even deeper to allow yourself to be vulnerable and humble/be a risk taker when it comes to winning a soul for eternity). Think about depths of the ocean and the sand that rests at the bottom of the sea floor. Think about how saturated that sand is w/ water. It was sand once, but no longer sand probably more like mud, and Who is the Potter and who is the clay? He is the Potter and we are the clay. The deeper you go into the ocean the sand conforms to a different state it becomes softer and more moldable, just as we are molded and shaped into God's perfect masterpiece. Our hearts become softer and as we go deeper in our relationship with Him.
Lets go deeper .
Take a hand full of sand and then take a hand full of mud in the other hand with your hands closed turn them over and open them. The sand falls from your hand faster quickly separating where as the mud falls more slowly and for the most part stays together falling in clumps. So far the most part the mud still was united in pieces, but the sand scattered like the sand pile in your hand never existed. The sand that was made from the mud that came from the depths of the ocean sticks together, but the dry sand that has never touched water completely falls apart. So the point is the deeper we are in our walk with the Lord the less likely we are to fall from Him, but the farther away from Him we are more likely we are to fall. I'm not saying it's going to be easy living in His water (truth), but it's worth every step you take. We have to have the living water of God it is the foundation of faith. The further in you go into the ocean (God's word) the deeper you go- the efforts you put forward digging deeper into the truth of His word. There are some areas of the ocean that depth is so deep they have yet been determined. God's word is endless, you can never cease going deeper with God. The scripture has so much to be told and one verse can hold many answers. You may come to tread in waters that seem stagnant to you and you feel you can't go any deeper, but you can. Sometimes you can get stuck in a rut doing things the same everyday. So then you need to stop and possibly take a new direction in your walk with the Lord. It could be simply as changing up your prayer times or devotionals. When you find yourself stuck in the mud and you can't see the fruit producing in your life ask God to redirect you. As silly as it may sound we need to stop and just allow God to speak to us. We need to take the time to hear His voice. It's amazing how much we hear once we stop and listen. Now God allow me to take this small grain of sand and use it for Your glory. I want to walk more closer to You Lord, help us all to stop walking on the surface of Your love and go deeper with You.
Christ called us to be fishers of men. * Matthew 4:19- 19 And He saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Stay weak in His strength!
Written By Leigh Carraway
Copyrighted 2008 (Have permission to use from the author.)
