Choppy Waters
For the past couple weeks I have noticed the waters on the river that is close to my home. I have had to make several trips out of town recently and the waters have been choppy each time I cross the river.
This past weekend my nephew went fishing and caught several fish. I made a comment about it being choppy waters, and he reminded me that it was only choppy on the surface, beneath the surface the waters were still and calm.
Aha, I had an ‘aha’ moment. I have seen the winds blowing in several people’s
lives lately, and that wind is causing them to become unsteady at times. It should not be this way. The surface of things, like the water, will change day by day, depending on rain, winds, and many other things; but beneath it all, the waters should remain calm and still.
I don’t know what has come your way lately that may be causing the waters in your life to be choppy, but I do know this, beneath it all there can and should be calmness.
Psalm 23 says; The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters.
Now, I do not believe the word of God is saying that God will lead us in a way that challenges never come our way. No, instead I believe he is saying that he will lead us in a way that no matter what happens, we can remain still and calm in Him.
Isaiah 30:15 says; In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.
Isaiah 32:17 says; The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
I heard a statement when I was younger that some people still say today; still waters run deep. You see we have to be in a deep place in God in order to stay calm and peaceful when the storms of life blow the surface waters in our life.
It’s vital to have a calmness and a supernatural peace deep within. We have to learn to become deep dwellers instead of surface dwellers. When you are allowing every wind that blows to affect your attitude or how you react to people, you are living a very shallow life. You are a surface dweller.
We will never be able to control all the winds that blow in our life or all the things that come our way – but there is something we can control; how we react to it. Do we remain calm and at peace or do we begin to allow these winds to affect us to such a degree that we react in a way that is not in line with the word of God?
You can’t control how other people act or talk. You can’t control what happens in the world. You can’t control many things in life…but you can control you. If you begin to exhibit anger, bitterness and a hateful attitude, if you begin to be consumed with doubt and unbelief, you taken yourself out of that place Psalm 23 talks about; you have taken yourself out of the place of walking beside still waters.
The bible says deep calls unto deep; if we want a deep life, where still waters are evident in our life then we need to live a deep life. I love the scripture that says let our roots grow deep into him. If we allow our roots to grow deep into him we will live a life that is unshakable when winds blow. We will live a life that can’t be easily shaken by the winds of life.
Friends, don’t let life blow you around. Don’t be a surface dweller. Be a person of deep waters, where the waters stay calm and still and where you stay calm and still and at peace, no matter what comes your way.
