Deepening Our Relationship With God

 

I grew up in New Jersey, not far from the beach (or the shore, as we call it up there). The ocean can be a little cool, even in the summer, and the waves can be rough, but that’s part of the fun of it. I’d start out in shallow water and then gradually work my way out to where I could catch the waves before they broke. Other people liked to stay at the water’s edge, just getting their feet wet except for when a big wave came in. They had fun but it didn’t seem to me that they were really immersed in the ocean experience.

 

Ezekiel was given a vision of a river coming out from underneath the temple and traveling all the way to the Dead Sea (Ezekiel 47:1-12). The water at first was only up to Ezekiel’s ankles. As it went on, it gradually got deeper, first knee-deep, then waist-high, until finally it was too deep to wade in but could only be swum in.

 

There are varying interpretations of Ezekiel’s vision. The river is often thought of as the grace of God, won by the death of Jesus, flowing out into the world through the Holy Spirit.

 

Our Christian life is meant to be one of continuing growth. We can’t be satisfied with just getting our feet wet! We have to wade into the water and go deeper in our relationship with God. As we seek more of the Spirit within us, the Father honors our request. Jesus tells us, “If you…..know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13). Just as the river’s current carries you forward, the Spirit will lead you into deeper waters when you let Him.

 

More on Ezekiel’s vision in my next post.

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an E-book through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.