Thursday, March 20, 2014

Staying In The River of God

Deeper water.....God beckons us into deeper water.  Ezekiel spoke of it when he described his vision from God in chapter 47 of his Old Testament book.  In the vision an angel measured the water in the river coming from the Temple of God...first ankle deep, then knee deep, waist deep....still manageable.  Still in his control.  And then Ezekiel said, "He measured off another thousand and by now it was a river I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in~ a river that no one could cross."  Ezekiel 47:5

Way over his head.  The water.  The place where he had to depend on God to survive the deep.  It beckoned him....this place of surrender and trust.

I first reflected on Ezekiel's vision when we were planning a trip last fall to a conference on healing being held in CT.  With these and many other words from God on living waters and His provisions, I pondered what God was asking. As many of you know, a trip like this was a really big deal for me.  I had been homebound for 10 years, not traveling anywhere except to see the doctor treating me for Lyme Disease and other nasty bacteria.  Then God opened our eyes to His desire for us to be well, and my husband was healed overnight from Lyme and other health issues.  My healing has been  more of a process and I worried that I was not yet ready for such a big trip. 

Fear told me to stay home.  Just stay home.  Stay safe.....stay protected....stay within the borders.  The enemy also whispered lies, but God called me into deeper waters, asking me to trust Him.  I did.  He provided above and beyond what I could ask or think, and we had a life changing, powerful two weeks, making a vacation of it, traveling 3,000 miles, and attending a conference on healing.  Only God.

A few weeks ago, I began reading Heidi Baker's book, "Birthing The Miraculous" and came across the story in Ezekiel once again.  Deeper water.......where we cannot swim alone.  God calls us to a place of complete surrender.  While still reading the book, I also came across teachings on this vision that brought me to a "less of me and more of You" place  Deeper, deeper than I could ever imagined, my heart opened to Holy Spirit and I was immersed in His presence.  Undone by His love.

At times everything in me cried out......stay!  Stay on the bank of the river.  Wade don't dive.  It is safer here in the familiar.  You can manage your life as it is, and serve Him without full surrender.  Just stay, and avoid the risk.  My heart was willing and still is, but sometimes the flesh is weak.  Yet I am drawn to this "something more" He offers through intimacy, and I cannot resist His voice.  God is trustworthy, this I believe.  Holy Spirit knows what He is doing as He heals the inner crevices of my soul and offers more of God.  Trembling I whisper, "Spirit lead me to where my trust is without borders".

God calls us to a deeper relationship with Him and when we get past the fears and experience the deeper water we only want more.  Here we find life and healing as Ezekiel says in Ezekiel 47:6-9.  In the river, referred to in Ezekiel as the River of Healing,  we are immersed in His heart and He in ours.  We are cleansed, healed, blessed.  Blessed to be a blessing....

Stay. Come.  At times I still ponder the choices, but we are called to take a deep breath, dive in, let go, and embrace God.  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him ( surrender, obedience, immersion) and He will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:4,5

Staying safe in "Renee's world" is no longer really an option for me, because the truth is, the. truth. is. being immersed in the river of God, saying yes to Him IS the safest place to be.  This is where I need to be.  Where He beckons us all.......

I am linking up today with Bonnie over at Faith Barista.  Her prompt word for today is "stay".

16 comments:

Lisa notes... said...

"Staying safe in "Renee's world" is no longer really an option for me, because the truth is, the. truth. is. being immersed in the river of God, saying yes to Him IS the safest place to be."

Yes. I can so relate to that, Renee. I feel safest in the comfort of my familiar little world. But oh to realize that it's less safe here and most safe in the deepest waters with God. Thanks for sharing this.

Trudy said...

Wow, Renee. I love Ezekiel's vision and your connection to our everyday life. How Jesus doesn't want us to stay in the familiar, the safe, but He wants us to dip into "Deeper water.......where we cannot swim alone. God calls us to a place of complete surrender." I long to with you "take a deep breath, dive in, let go, and embrace God." Thank you so much.

Pamela said...

It's so easy for me to stay on the bank too. I need more of surrender, too. Thought provoking, Renee.praying for your healing, too.

HisFireFly said...

My spirit is jumping in agreement.

The only true safety is in the "YES, Lord"

Bonnie Gray said...

our stories read different, but the journey is the same. i can't stay safe any more either. though i wish i could, if i had a a choice. :) thnx for being so vulnerable and sharin gour journey with us, Renee. I didn't know about the deeper water reference here. Now, it's blessed my soul. I will be tucking it away and let it soak and write about it one day... thnx for inspiring me, friend.

Renee said...

Thanks for coming by Lisa. We all seem to feel safest in the familiar, but God does have so much more for us. Thank you for your thoughts on this.......

Renee said...

You are welcome, Trudy.....it is there for us every day..the "yes, Lord"!!

Renee said...

Thank you for coming by Pamela...I appreciate your prayers too... God bless.

Renee said...

Thanks hisfirefly....bless you.

Renee said...

Hi Bonnie
Thank you for coming by and your kind words. You bless us all with your journey shared.

KAS said...

Renee this post makes me think of the song Oceans by Hillsong. That song has been my anthem for the past few months. "Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith would be made stronger in the presence of my saviour. ... :)

Sending prayers up for you dear!

Debbie said...

The deeper waters are scary...but God always wants us to go deeper! I would rather stay on the bank at times. Thank you for sharing!

kymmie said...

What a great blog! I need to dive in, too, and trust what God has planned for me. It's too easy to try to control everything myself. Thank you for sharing!!

Renee said...

Hi Krista....
I listen to that song "Oceans" a lot...it is where I got the Spirit lead me sentence....I pray that often. Thank you for your prayers...

Renee said...

Hi Debbie..thanks for coming by!

Renee said...

Awe, thanks Kymmie. Glad you stopped by.