Going Deep (Part 2)

As a follow up to Going Deep Part 1, let's look at some folks who chose not to go deep and contrast them with those who chose to go deep...

Mark 10:17-22 tells us that the rich young ruler had gone to a certain depth, after all, he said he had "observed [the commandments] from my youth up." The Bible even says Jesus looked at him and loved him, but he also told him he needed to go deeper by selling his riches and following Jesus to have treasure in Heaven. The rest, as they say, is history. The young man chose to remain at that depth and go no further.

II Timothy 4:10 speaks of Demas. An apparent traveler/companion of Paul, hence, there was a level of depth. However, this verse lets us know that Demas forsook Paul, "having loved this present world." The digging, searching, growing stopped, and Demas turned back.

Acts 24:25 tells us that Felix trembled (probably from feeling the power of the Holy Ghost as Paul spoke) when Paul testified to him, but told Paul to come back when it was convenient. Again, he came to a point where he said 'I'm fine with this and I think I'll just stay here.'

On the other hand there were many people that went deeper in God:

• Acts 13:22 speaks of David as "a man after mine [God's] own heart."
• James 2:23 says Abraham was "called the friend of God."
• Acts 10:1-6, 44-48, 11:13-14 tells of Cornelius, a man that had apparently gone to some depth in God, but still needed to be saved.
• Acts 18:24-26 records a similar situation for Appollos. He was a mighty man of God, yet didn't have the fullness of the truth.
• Acts 19:1-7 records the account of believers who'd been baptized, but still didn't know about Jesus name baptism or the infilling of the Holy Ghost.

Each situation shows us people who were just as human as you and me, yet when the call came for them to move deeper, to go further in God, they rose to the occasion.

Let's purpose in our hearts and minds that we aren't going to be satisfied with a shallow walk with God. Let's go deep, and when we arrive at the next level, let's push to go to the next....

Going Deep (Part 1)

As Christians, it's important that we continually grow and seek after more of God. It can be very dangerous to grow lackadaisical in our walk with God as this often leads to complacency and stagnation...

Ezekiel 47:3-6 illustrates the point very nicely:

3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. 4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. 5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. 6 And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.

Here we see three different levels of depth-ankles, knees, loins, and waters to swim in. After the vision the prophet is taken back to the brink (the shore). Here we see that though the vision allowed him to see how deep he could go, he still had to be the one to walk it off.

So it is with our walk with God. Even the initial revelation of the kingdom of God and salvation is something that must be sought after. Matthew 13:44 is where Jesus likens the kingdom to a treasure hid in a field. Also, if you read Isaiah 28:10-13 you see that God's Word is line upon line, precept upon precept.

So God doesn't hand us a manual with a nice glossary and index, rather, He expects us to search the scriptures out for ourselves (as Jesus told the religious leaders to do in John 5:39).

Isaiah 55:9 tells us that God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours and Romans 11:33 tells us his ways are past finding out.

So how can we go deep and really know God? The beauty is that God allows us to know his mind, his Word, and His ways. I Corinthians 2:9-12 reads:

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

So through God's Spirit, we can get to that deep place in God where He can reveal to us the things that were before unknowable and unattainable. THANK YOU JESUS!!!

So the onus, the obligation, is on us to go deep. How do we go deep? Two of the greatest ways to go deeper in God are through prayer (see Romans 8:26 and Jude 1:20) and Bible reading (see Psalm 119:11 and II Timothy 2:15).

Thank you wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, for the gift of your Spirit, for the opportunity to dig deep, find you, and know you...