For the past few weeks at church, we have been going through a series on spiritual formation. This series is anchored in Galatians 4, especially verse 19 which says “Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives” (NLT). Whenever I think spiritual formation, the image that comes to my mind is a river; and not just any river. I think of the river described in Ezekiel 47. Lets read together:

In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side. The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the water flowing out through the south side of the east gateway. Measuring as he went, he took me along the stream for 1,750 feet and then led me across. The water was up to my ankles. He measured off another 1,750 feet and led me across again. This time the water was up to my knees. After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist. Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to walk across. It was deep enough to swim in, but too deep to walk through.

Ezekiel 47:1-5 NLT [Emphasis mine]

In the scripture, I flag for your attention the progression from ankle-deep water to knee-deep water to waist-deep water to water that is too deep to stand in. I love this scripture because it signals to me the kind of relationship God wants from me. In the context of a river, the progression from ankle-deep water to water that you cannot swim in suggests a deepening relationship with God and an increasing experience of His power and presence. For me, this is the life that God has called us to: an adventure of a lifetime.

As someone who does not swim, this image conjures for me an ultimate dependence and reliance on God as I adventure with him through the days of my life here on earth. I was recently “swimming” in beautiful turquoise waters out in the Caribbean sea. First I got into the water and after overcoming my initial fear and I loved the feel of the waves as they lapped around my ankles. So I decided to walk further into the ocean and now the water was knee deep. It was unnerving at first but I got comfortable very quickly and so decided to venture even farther. Soon, the water was waist deep and my footing was not firmly planted in the soil. Next thing, a big strong wave covered me and swept me right off my feet and into the water. Luckily there was someone close by and I grabbed on to their feet to stand.

This imagery can be likened to the spiritual growth of believers, as they move from initial faith to deeper commitment and understanding of who God is. There comes a time in the life of every believer where we must make a decision to commit more deeply to following Jesus Christ. As Paul so aptly says,

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.

Hebrews 5:12-14; 6:1 NLT

God calls us to a deeper life in Him. And as we get deeper, we get to know Him more and more. This is the adventure of which I speak: the adventure of a lifetime.

Back to my story: After getting back to the safety of the shore, I watched surfers in the water get covered by these huge waves, only to emerge from them seconds later and ride the waves. As you get deeper with God, it is inevitable that you get to a point where the water gets too deep and you simply cannot stand in the water. The bible says in Psalm 47, “Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and waves have rolled over me” (NIV). In order to not get swept away by the waves of God’s presence and power, it is important to practice the spiritual disciplines. These keep you grounded- planted firm and deep in the Savior’s love. Spiritual disciplines are habits or practices that teach us and help us grow in our spiritual walk with Christ (Eboni, 2020). Although there are about a dozen of them, some of the common spiritual disciplines are:

• Reading & studying the Word of God
• Prayer
• Fasting
• Praise and Worship
• Fellowship
• Service
• Evangelism
• Discipleship

Just as we need to learn to walk first before we can run, so it is with going deeper in God. The spiritual disciplines prepare us for the knee-deep water, the waist-deep water, and the water that is too deep to stand in. They help us to move to “solid food”- maturity in Christ so that we can experience the fullness of God.

As I close, my question to you is simple: Are you ready for the adventure of a life time?

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT)

Yours Truly.