Soften My Heart
May 8, 2019
Going Deeper: No Excuses
May 22, 2019
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
Picture with me a scene at the beach. The water is crystal clear Caribbean blue, with that wonderful wash of emerald green. There are several people in our scene:
The first person is asleep under a big umbrella.
The next is standing up throwing a Frisbee.
The next is waist deep in the water.
The next is body-surfing in the waves.
The next is out fifty feet or so swimming.
The next is out a ways in a boat.
The next is snorkeling next to the boat.
The next is scuba diving around a shallow coral reef.
And the next is scuba diving deeper around a shipwreck.
Pause please for a moment and fix this scene in your mind.
What is the person throwing the Frisbee saying to the person lying lazily under the umbrella? And what is the person standing waist deep in the water saying to the friend throwing the Frisbee?
As we skip to the person in the boat, what is he or she saying to the people on the shore? And the person snorkeling to the person in the boat? And the scuba diver to the person snorkeling?
By now you get the picture. Each is saying to the previous person something like, “Come on, throw the Frisbee with me. Come in the water, it is so nice. Come out on my boat, you won’t believe how much prettier it is out here.
“Put on a mask and snorkel and come in the water with me. You can see so much more with a mask on. You must try scuba diving, you can go deeper and stay longer, and see so much more. Get down here on this wreck. The fish are amazing and I think there might be a treasure inside!”
Jesus is always calling us to go deeper in our relationship with him. He knows the riches we are missing. He knows the beauty, the unfathomable beauty, awaiting us – and the love, the joy, the peace, and the patience as our experience with him grows more intimate. He is calling you to go deeper, but he will not force you to. You must want it.
Do you?
Each person in our beach scene has seen and experienced more than the previous person. And each is saying, “There is so much more. You have to see this!”
But the previous person may likely respond, “I’m okay right here. I’m doing just fine. What’s the fuss about? That will take too much effort. I’m sure that is good for you, but not for me.
Or …”You’re just a fanatic.”
Or … “I’m too busy right now.”
Or … “I’ll get to that later.”
Oh my.
Where are you on this beach scene? Are you comfortable right where you are? Do you doubt there is really that much more to see? Do you view your friend who is stepping out and going deeper as perhaps just a little more, how might we say it, emotional, and even a tad too zealous?
Would you say you want more, but are you too busy, too distracted?
Or … are you pursuing an ever-deepening relationship with Jesus? Really pursuing? Are you digging deeper for more? Are you seeking his life to the full he promised?
I will simply say this: There is so much more. And you are missing it. Wherever you are, there is so much more to see, so much richness yet to experience.
Note to all who read Oswald Chambers daily devotion “My Utmost for His Highest:” We have put together a podcast of 3 minute summaries of each daily devotion.
If you go to “Understanding Oswald” in Podcasts, you can sign up for it.
It is also on our www.721ministries.org website.
