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Jul 14, 2024 06:00am

Enough

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“Shark!”

While on vacation at the beach with my family, this one word got my attention quickly. We were hanging out in the shallow end when I heard this alarm call and looked up. Like a domino falling, I saw people in droves fleeing from the water as this ominous shadow in the water made its way down toward us. In my haste to get out, I got all sorts of tangled up in my pool hammock, floundering like a fish. I crawled to the shore on all fours because I couldn’t get untangled. My daughter, on the other hand, was standing close to the shore with an inquisitive look on her face. In talking with employees and beachgoers, she found out that this was a “smaller” (as in 5 feet) nurse shark; according to others, this was a “safe” shark. So, she quickly grabbed our GoPro and went in search of a shark encounter, assuring me she would stay close to me. (I was standing in shock with my mouth agape.) Friends, she found what she was looking for. This “small” shark came within 7 feet of her before it swam away. (Listen, I have a daughter who lives for adventure. I feel like James Dobson wrote the book The Strong-Willed Child just for me.)

Once it was deemed the shark had indeed left the area, I got back in the water, hugging the shore a little closer than before. This experience taught me to stay away from deeper places where it’s not so easy to flee from in a moment’s notice. But, here’s the problem: I love going deeper. I love to snorkel out in the deep. I love to dive for sand dollars in the deep. I love to get on a paddle board or a boat to observe everything below me in those deep waters. It’s captivating. You see, even though I fear the deep, I feel called to the deep. There’s something about the deep where I feel I can experience more than the shore’s edge can give me.

So, anytime my love for the deep and my love for Scripture align, it grabs my attention! And it’s not just me–there’s something about deep water that attracts the presence and power of God.

Exhibit #1: Moses and the Red Sea. When Moses and the Israelites came to the Red Sea and its deep waters, they were scared out of their minds. These deep waters evoked fear in our Israelite friends. I imagine them saying What was Moses thinking? Are we supposed to swim for it? Doubt filled their hearts, and they turned on God. (It’s funny how fast we can turn on God, isn’t it?)

That’s when Moses gave the best pep talk ever: “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm. You will see how the Lord will save you today. Do you see those Egyptians? You will never see them again” (Exodus 14:13, NIRV). I wondered if they were thinking, Yea right, Moses, tell that to the Egyptians hot on our trail! Despite their doubt and fear, God not only parted these waters, but the Israelites got to cross on dry sand. Faith had become sight for these fickle people.

God 1, deep waters 0.

Exhibit #2: Joshua and the Israelites. A generation later, Joshua and the Israelites were called to go and take the promised land. But their first real test was not the giants and fortified cities they had to face—it was the rushing waters of the Jordan River. At flood stage, these waters were deep and swift and threatened to take down anyone who would dare get in. That’s when Joshua gave his comrades a pep talk: “Make yourselves pure. Tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among us” (Joshua 3:5, ERV).

This promise, friends, was a little different than the previous generations. This amazing work of God would only be activated by an act of faith. You see, when–and only when–the priests walked in that river (with the ark of the covenant) did God part those rushing, deep waters, allowing them to cross on dry ground. They did . . . and He did.

God 2, deep waters 0.

In each moment in Scripture, those deep waters didn’t win. Let me repeat that again: those deep waters did not take down God’s people! God used them to test his people’s faith. You see, believing in Him wasn’t enough . . . they had to act like they believed in Him. They had to follow Him. Oh, how I get this! How many times have I professed my faith in God and yet, stood at the water’s edge, struggling to trust God with those deeper waters?

It’s those deep waters that expose the fake and faltering within us. They show us who and what we place our faith in—who or what we make our “buoys” in life. And, it’s there in those deep waters God shows us those man-made buoys will ultimately fail us.

If I were to sum up both pep talks by Joshua and Moses, it would go something like this: “Friends, don’t give way to fear! Stand firm. Trust God. He will make a way for you!”

I wonder . . . how much has fear held you back and kept you in the shallow end? How often have your own “buoys” failed you? After our shark encounter, I found myself staying away from the things I loved: snorkeling, diving for sand dollars, and water-watching on a paddle board. It left me discontented with my beach experience. You know what? The same goes for our faith in God as well: I can’t stay in the shallow waters of life and experience the deep things of God. Sooner or later, I have to venture out and follow His lead, trusting He is bigger than my fears. (But, if you see a shark, swim back to the shore. Stat.)

It’s okay to fear the deep, friends, just don’t live in fear of the deep. Trust God enough to take that step of faith. Then, trust Him enough to take another step . . . and another one. Sometimes, He’ll part the waters. Other times, He’ll take you through them. Either way, good things happen in the deep.

It’s when we find that He is enough.