Let the Waters Rise

“Sometimes life is so hard that we feel like we’re drowning. We call out for God to throw us a life jacket, but maybe He wants to teach us to swim instead.”

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“Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting,

or should we keep looking for someone else?”

Matthew 11:3 (NLT)

Hey God, are you going to fix this or not?

Can’t you see what I am going through here?

Are you even hearing me?

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Sometimes life gets so hard that we feel like we’re drowning. We find ourselves calling out from the deep end for God to help us. We just want Him to throw us a life jacket, but sometimes He wants to teach us to swim instead. That’s because He is a Good Father.

Learning to Swim

Think back to when you were learning to swim in the pool. At first, you probably wore a floating pool ring, then maybe some arm bands. From there you might have switched to a kick board or a pool float of some sort to aid you while you got the feel for kicking your feet and staying afloat. These steps all served a purpose: strengthening your body and honing your skills for the day when you would swim on your own, with no assistance.

Remember the moment you swam all by yourself for the first time? It was so freeing! You could swim wherever you wanted! You could swim from one side of the pool to the other, to the deep end, even across the lake!

Now think back again to that first time you stepped foot in the pool. What if your parents would have just left you in those armbands, even when you were a teenager? Sure, you would be safe from drowning. It would also have prevented your muscles from getting sore from kicking and paddling. But would you have just worn them forever? At what point would their concern for your safety just be considered enabling laziness instead? That would not be what I would consider a “good parent”.

Instead, they likely encouraged you to kick harder, paddle faster, and to hold your nose when you go under the water. They kept close watch as you learned the process and built up your strength. A good parent coaches their child and motivates them to learn new skills that will help them throughout life. They look past the temporary to prepare you for a lifetime of good things. They don’t just do everything for you.

If God just snapped His fingers like a genie and solved all your problems, would that ultimately be the best thing for you? Like the enabling parent, at what point would your free will just be replaced by a puppeteer’s agenda? Is that really what you want? Is that any kind of life?

“Sometimes God permits what He hates to accomplish that which He loves!”

-Joni Eareckson Tada

In Matthew 11:1-6, John the Baptist is in prison and hears about the things Jesus is doing. He sends his disciples to Jesus to question Him. John appears to be questioning if Jesus is the Messiah. But I don’t think that’s exactly what his question means. I wonder if maybe he is just questioning what type of Messiah Jesus is. Is it possible that John thought Jesus would be more of a king or conqueror, like many Jews did, as well as forgiver of sins? Perhaps he hoped Jesus could help free him of his jail sentence? I’m not sure what sparked this question but I think Jesus’ response is to tell John that He didn’t come for the reasons that he was expecting.

Jesus wasn’t going to come rescue John from prison, but it wasn’t because He didn’t love him. Just because God doesn’t respond in the way we would like, it doesn’t mean He isn’t still working in amazing ways.

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“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

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Just Keep Swimming

I’m sure John didn’t consider being in prison “light and momentary trouble”. I bet the divorce doesn’t feel light and momentary. I am sure the diagnosis doesn’t feel light and momentary at all! But I think God would tell us “If you could only see the things that are to come!” These earthly trials might make us lose our head, but we will never lose heart because we know that He is achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs all of our temporary suffering!

God is always there, always helping you eternally, not just temporarily. He is always preparing you to ride the waves ahead and doing good works in you, even when it is hard to see.

“Even when the rain falls
Even when the flood starts rising
‘Cause even when the storm comes
I am washed by the water.”

-Needtobreathe

When it feels like you are struggling to keep your head above water, it might be that you are actually immersed in God’s plan. You might feel like you are drowning, but maybe you are really just submerged in His mission. Maybe you feel stranded in the middle of the ocean, treading water, but He is on top of the waves walking out to meet you. You won’t go under unless you take your eyes off of Jesus and put your focus on your troubles instead. (Matthew 14:22-36)

So, let the waters rise! Jesus is reaching out His hand to catch the faithful.

3.25.19

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Let the Waters Rise by Mike’s Chair