Dive Deeper

Years ago, I went scuba diving in Cozumel. It wasn't something for which I was qualified, but after a twenty-minute class they assured me that I would be fine. 

It was an odd sensation being able to breathe underwater and it took me a few minutes to get comfortable. Before I knew it, though, I was swimming with the fish.

As you can imagine, it was surreal to be underwater. First, I never thought I would do anything like that. Second, this was a whole new world to be explored. I was content to stay near the surface.  That wasn't what the divemaster had planned, though.

The divemaster took me to the bottom of the ocean, which was about 25 or 30 feet, and showed me a cave that we could swim through if I felt comfortable enough. So many thoughts ran through my head. I only had twenty minutes of training on how not to die underwater. There was no way I could do this!

I stared at him for a moment, and he smiled. Then he held out his hand, nodded, and gave me a thumbs up. There was something about his confidence that led me to take his hand, give him a thumbs up, and follow him.

He held my hand throughout the entire cave. I wasn't alone and I was doing something so awesome that I would never forget it.  I didn't want to go back to the surface. It was beautiful!

As I think back on that dive, I can't help but think of my walk with Christ. I spent twenty years of my walk with Christ underwater, but near the surface. It's not that I was afraid to go deeper. Honestly, it was more like I didn't see a need to. Everything was good where I was at.

But then one day a trusted friend in Christ challenged me to go deeper. He challenged me to strive for more in my walk and my relationship with Christ. He encouraged me to be more than a surface level Christian. He was prepared to hold my hand, dive deep, and even go through the cave with me.

Jeremiah 29:13-14 "'You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the Lord…"

Exploring the deeper things of God has been more amazing than I could have ever imagined. The more I study who God is, the more I realize how awesome He is. My faith is deepened by studying the scriptures to learn more about God. The more I know, the more I love Him. The more I love Him, the more I strive to live a life that glorifies Him.

Be encouraged today to dive deep into the things of God. Don't stay on the surface. Dive deeper. Find a fellow believer that is willing to hold your hand and help you.  Find one that knows the depths of the cave and will be there to guide you through it. Seek the Lord with all your heart and you will find Him.  Once you know what it’s like to be deep in your faith, you will not want to go back to the surface unless it is to grab someone's hand and help them go deeper.

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