A Life in Exile

I admit that I come from a long line of floaters. Our family was not known for being great swimmers, and my father taught me to master floating. I learned the lesson well, and love nothing better than floating on top of the water in a pool or sea and feel the gentle rocking of the waves. It’s a perfect picture of surrender—arms out wide, body submitting to the water’s buoyancy. It’s peaceful and easy.

That is, until a wave hits you.

That’s when you’d better know how to swim, right? We’ve all been there. You can only float for so long. Your arms get tired, or your bottom starts to sink. The reality is, floating has its downside.

A spiritual lesson is coming

My love for floating lies in sharp contrast to my hesitancy with scuba diving. Though my eldest son has been the brave one and actually took the lessons and donned the gear to dive the depths of the sea, I was satisfied with a simple snorkel, mask, and flippers to get a top-sided glimpse into the wonders below.

This is where I transition. You’re not supposed to tell people that when you’re writing, but I’m doing it for a reason—I want you to get the point. Storms are coming, the waves are rising, and the days are growing darker as we near the Lord’s return. If you’re still floating in God’s Word, if you’re not taking your Bible seriously, then expect to get hit and hit big. It’s not going to be pretty, and you’re going to struggle.

Neither can you be like me with the snorkel—happy to take peeks into the depths of God’s Word through a sermon here or Bible study there, while hesitating to go deeper on your own. You’re missing a lot. I’m not saying you have to go to seminary or be an academic to gain riches from the depths of God’s Word, but you do need to be willing to stretch yourself and your mind by making and taking the time to study and learn.

As he was writing to explain the mystery of election and how Israel’s sin opened the door to the salvation of the Gentiles, Paul breaks out with this truth:

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! (Romans 11:33 ESV)

The wonders of Scripture revealed

The book of Romans is heavy, but a group of women (and men) from my church persevered this past year in studying Paul’s words, verse by verse and chapter by chapter, until we arrived at the end. Paul uses a lot of words and often writes very long sentences. It took effort to grab even some of the treasures found in that book, but we had some great times of sharing and talking about the lessons learned. I think that’s why it’s appropriate that after such a deep study, there is a doxology at the end.

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Rom. 16:25-27)

What did we gain from our deep dive into Romans? Strengthening in the gospel and preaching of Jesus. We understood the mystery revealed by God, that it’s by grace we are saved through faith in the atoning work of Christ. And, we learned how to live more in line with that truth and in the likeness of the Son.

Was it a lot of work? Maybe. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

What will help us stand strong in the days to come? A deep and right knowledge of God’s Word. You can’t get it by floating and looking up to heaven, thinking that you’re safe from trials because you trusted Jesus as a child or young adult. You can’t get it by snorkeling in the shallow depths, where only the minnows swim. You’ve got to gear up with the full armor of God and dive deep into the wonders of His Word, seeing how from Genesis to Revelation, everything connects, points to Jesus, and equips us for the spiritual battles that are being waged against us.

Yes, we can get lost in God’s wonderful Word, because there are always new things to learn and discover. But, just as with scuba diving, you will have to come up for air from time to time. We can’t live isolated in the Word, as much as that would be a beautiful thing. We must get out of the water and take what we’ve learned out into the world, living by it, sharing it, and allowing it to impact every aspect of our lives.

Bible study is a life-long school for those who have turned from sin and are swimming against the current for Jesus. Don’t remain a novice! Take the plunge and discover the treasures and blessings of God’s Word for your life.

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Wednesday Wisdom, click HERE, or check out these posts on God’s Word: The Living Word, Friday Focus Collections, God’s Word: The Antidote to Deception, Remember God’s Word for a Full Life and Well-Being, and A Family of the Word.