“Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.”
We are called to dive deeper into the encounter with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
God is a river and His Holy Spirit beckons from His centre for us to go in deeper and across it.
We stand on the side where things are seen but are transient. What is on the other side is unseen but eternal.
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
It appears that some of us do not want to leave the familiar dry bank where we feel safe.
Others of us tentatively put a toe in the water but remain stuck and unmoving.
Some of us stand only ankle deep and yet appear to be stumbling or sliding on mud. We struggle to move forward and fear our insecure feeling of exposing mud or getting wet.
We are never called to remaining stuck in the past and not moving forward towards a goal of more and better. Even if it feels safer to stay rather than get in and go deeper to waist level and deeper.
It stretches our faith to go further than we can understand, see or remain in control of. We have to increase our expectation. Forget past disappointments and focus upon what we trust.
Jesus is our rock beneath our feet our security.
Greater still is to dive in, totally emerge ourselves and become reappointed to go forwards with strength and momentum in the river of Life and all it’s goodness.
We can be in danger of being so comfortable with ankle deep that we don’t go further.
Abram had to be reminded that God had promised him more than Eliezer to be heir. Abrams faith may have settled for less.
“But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
God’s intention and promise had never changed.
“And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
We have to move on in and deeper so that what we have not yet seen becomes seen in the unseen future that God has promised.
Elijah’s blessings run dry by the Brook at Cherith and God called him to move on to Zarephath which was closer to where he had encountered conflict with Jezebel and therefore in the proximity of the enemy that he had fled from.
Yet it was a significant place for two miracles to take place that would mould and impact him and others he met.
“And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.””
The Lord, the Holy Spirit takes us into unchartered water and leads our steps as we keep our eyes on Him.
There is significance in being drawn on because we realise it is reciprocal and that He sees us in our every move too.
Just as Hagar realised in her encounter before Ishmael was born.
“So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.””
God is opening our eyes and illuminating our hearts to cross to see more of the invisible to endorse what we have heard Him say audibly or in His word.
So that we have affirmation like Job.
“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;”
When we behold His presence by seeing His face it is a marvel to know that we can encounter Him continually every minute of the day in the multidimensional reality that we live in .
He is there with us as we dwell and abide in Him and He in us.
“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”
The illustration shows us stood secure on the rock eyes fixed upon Christ and dwelling at one, Him in us and we in Him. Light emanating to push back the darkness.
Eight Scriptures that come to mind:
“Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.” Ezekiel 47:3-5 ESV
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV
“But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Genesis 15:2 ESV
“And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Genesis 15:5
“And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 1 Kings 17:7, 9 ESV
“So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”Genesis 16:13 ESV
“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;”. Job 42:5 ESV
“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” Psalm 27:4 ESV
The song Magnificent Trinity. Helsers
Lessisgreater 