In Over Our Head

<strong>“If you quit listening, dear child, and strike off on your own,
you’ll soon be out of your depth.”
Proverbs 19:27

I can remember when my children were really small and we would be enjoying a refreshing day at the pool. They couldn’t swim yet, so they would play with their toys right on the water’s edge as they stood safely on the steps. I would warn them over and over to be careful explaining that one step too far would put them in over their head. It never failed, that one of them would eventually get distracted with what they were doing and make that dangerous step that would send them sinking just under the surface of the water. They would stare at me from under the water for those brief seconds just waiting for me to see that they had gone too far. Like any mother, I would jump to their rescue, hold them close to calm their fears, and then remind them of the importance of following instructions.

The Bible says that when we “quit listening and strike off on our own, we will soon be out of our depth”. There are many instructions God has given to us. Numerous commands we are told to follow and areas we are to avoid, yet somehow, we often times get so engrossed in what we are doing that we find ourselves just under the surface, looking up to find that strong arm that will pull us back to safety.

I can think of so many times that I have become distracted doing “my own thing”, only to find myself in over my head. I am grateful for our Loving Heavenly Father, who never misses a step I take. No matter how deep I fall, His arm is always long enough to rescue me, wrap me in His love and calm my anxious heart, and He always reminds me of the importance in following His instruction.

You see, the depth itself is not a bad or even dangerous place to be when you are with the Master of the Sea. It is when we “strike off on our own” that we find ourselves “out of our depth”. I want to be a person that follows God to the depths of His love and grace for my life, knowing that it is there that the real treasure is found. If I am going to go into deep water, I would much rather enjoy the view as I follow Him, walking on the water’s surface, instead of the fearful view from below.

What about you? Are you in over your head today? Have you taken that dangerous step that has left you feeling out of breath and fearful? He is waiting to pull you to safety. If you will just look up, you will find His mighty arm there waiting and ready to save. Let Him pull you to safety and warm you with His love. Listen to His careful instructions and follow Him. He will lead you in the depths of His love where the view is breathtaking, life giving, and the treasures are untold!

Lord, help me today to stay close to you. Enable me to follow your instructions and not get distracted with my own thing. May I be mindful of each step I take, knowing that just one step away from you and your will for my life can be life threatening. Thank you that you are mighty to save and your love can reach me no matter how deep I may have fallen.



You can read more from Tammy by visiting Steps In Our Journey