Splashing in the Shallows

 March 26, 2022

I’m still musing over yesterday’s text:

“…I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

—Ephesians 3:13-14, 16-19 

Though imprisoned and having endured many trials, when Paul prays for eh Ephesian Christians, his request of God is that they may know the surpassing love of Christ. He didn’t ask to be delivered from prison; his troubles didn’t dissuade him of his assurance of Christ’s love. Unlike many of Luis today who question God’s love with every little problem that comes along, Paul’s assurance didn’t come from an external situation, but from within. 

I suspect that we have difficulty in this area. Because we haven’t plumbed the depths, but are rather content to paddle around on the surface of life. We measure Christ’s love for us by the amount of temporal blessings we have received, and when they are taken away, we discover that all we had was the shell of temporal blessing. There is no inner substance to our assurance, which is why we are so dependent on the external signs. We get so caught up in them we never even imagine there’s anything more. We don’t even look.

Too often, we’re like toddlers in an inflatable wading pool set up on an ocean beach. We splash and laugh, unaware of the length, breadth, and depth of the ocean that washes the sands only inches away.

“Lord, show me how to step out of my little pool. Give me the courage to cast out into the deep. It takes more than Bible study. It takes you.”