by David Scott Robertson
(Ezek 47:3 NIV) As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep.
(Ezek 47:4 NIV) He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist.
(Ezek 47:5 NIV) He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in--a river that no one could cross.”
There are many references to water in the Word of God.
The crystal sea (Revelation 4:6).
The river of life (Revelation 22:1).
The former rain and the latter rain (Deuteronomy 11:14).
The springs of living water (Revelation 7:17).
Jesus even said that whoever drinks the water He gives will never thirst again (John 4:14).
Many of these references to water in its various forms
Are symbolic of deep spiritual truths.
I submit the following thought to you that was a revelation to me:
When a scuba diver plunges into the ocean,
He or she has strapped on their back a device called “air tanks.”
Obviously the tanks contain oxygen to enable the diver to breathe underwater.
The diver is immersed in a hostile environment that cannot sustain his or her life.
To remove the air tube from their mouth is to remove life from their bodies.
It’s called drowning.
Water displaces air in the lungs and the human body dies.
The message of this writing today is a message about control.
Holding on versus letting go.
Struggling and striving versus entering God’s rest.
Laboring versus ceasing from our labor.
Trusting in ourselves versus trusting in the Lord.
Living versus dying
And dying versus living.
May I suggest to you
That in a very real spiritual sense our Christian experience
Is very much like the scuba diver submerged in the ocean.
Figuratively, we are all swimming, snorkeling, or scuba diving in the river of God.
As we are swimming in the river of God,
Often we are exerting effort and energy to fight against the current.
We want to go a different way than the current is leading us.
If we are snorkeling in the river of God,
We have brought along some man-made equipment
To try and help us see underwater better.
Snorkeling emphasizes the visual aspect of the experiences.
Looking, gazing, gawking at the “signs and wonders” of it all.
If we are scuba diving in the river of God,
We are actually immersed in the river.
We have, in a sense, become a part of the river but not one with it.
To us, it still is an alien environment
Because we carry with us a life support system of human design strapped to our backs.
We want to experience God but not totally experience God.
We are still drawing our life’s breath from the world – our natural habitat.
Now here’s the thought I want to share with you today –
Swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving in a natural river is one thing.
We understand that we must either hold our breath or use artificial means to sustain our air supply
While submerged in the water of a natural river.
However, in the river of God
It’s exactly the opposite.
In God’s ecosystem, we must remove any man-made effort,
Any mechanical approach to God,
Any life-sustaining device from our mouths and while underwater in the river of God
We must do something that our entire natural body resists with everything within it…
We must inhale.
We must breathe IN the water.
We must do the exact opposite of what our flesh screams out to do, to “hold” our breath!
But it’s in the process of inhaling,
Of drowning,
Of dying
That we enter into true life.
In the supernatural order of God,
To breathe in the river means life…spiritual life, abundant life.
The act of “letting go” and yielding actually leads to a greater experience.
An experience that is alien to our natural world.
Paul said in Galatians 2:20:
“ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Paul inhaled the river water.
In the Book of Revelation,
John entered into the flow of God’s river:
(Rev 1:17 NIV) When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.
(Rev 1:18 NIV) I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
John inhaled the river water.
Ezekiel watched an entire army of dead, dry bones come together by the breath of God:
(Ezek 37:9 NIV) Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'"
(Ezek 37:10 NIV) So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army.”
The army inhaled the river water.
(Phil 1:21 NIV) For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Inhaling river water has its advantages!
What about you?
Are you dead yet?
Are you ready to dive into the river of God and drown?
DSR
8/20/01