The Great Deep

One year, our youth ministry team went to a camp ground to "check it out" to make sure that it was okay for the students to go to that summer. One of the many benefits of being a youth pastor (that and the expensive cars and outrageous salary). One evening we went out close to a river that ran through the camp grounds. We found some pretty big rocks near the water and laid on our backs to gaze into the stars. When you are not in the city and there are no lights to obscure it, the stars are beautiful in an environment like that. It seems that you can stare into the limitless void of space for ever and never get tired of it. It is awe inspiring.

God is like that. If we truly see God for who He is, we can stare for hours into His limitless love and mercy and never grow tired of it. He is like the sky or deep water. For the rest of your life you could gaze at Him and never get to the bottom of how deep He truly is. The problem is that we take our eyes off of Him due to our own sin. The enemy is pretty good at distracting us from that activity.

You see, transgression is subtle. Sin can be a ninja that sneaks up on you. It speaks within your heart, no one knows about it. If you allow it to continue to speak into your heart it will corupt and destroy you. It seems to be harmless enough but in the end it is like playing with a King Cobra, it is all fun and games until it sinks its teeth into you and its poison slowly works its way into your heart.

How do we stand against the poison of sin and the ninja that is transgression? The way to battle the transient pleasures of sin is to ponder and gaze into the deep of God's greatness. To get lost in His lovingkindness. Once you focus on that, the surface level effect that sin has in giving you relief from your pain seems silly.

If we take God at His word (which we have in Scripture) we will focus our gaze on Christ(Hebrews 12:2). By making Jesus our focal point, we fix ourselves on a place that is Limitless, Immovable and Unsearchable. Those are not surface level things but deep and unconquerable traits that God possesses. Take a look at Psalm 36:5-6 for a point of reference. We are promised that God is:

Limitless - in His love for us. There is nothing that can separate us from it (Romans 8:37-39). He will never stop loving us despite how much we fail or how little we reciprocate His love. Sure you have to be careful with that concept and not abuse it but it gives us security in knowing that God loves us with a relentless love.

Immovable - in His righteousness. He will always act out of what is good and holy. He will never be a perpetrator of evil or hate. He will always act out of love, sometimes tough love, and goodness.

Unsearchable - in his judgments. You never have to worry about God's judgment being tainted by favoritism or greed. He always judges correctly and with impunity. God's wisdom is beyond our understanding at times and full of mercy and grace. It may not always seem like it but it is only because we are finite beings dealing with an infinite God.

Once we see God in this way, and truly see it, the ninja of transgression will not stand a chance. Because his deeds will be fully exposed in the light of Christ and the goodness and depth of God's mercy. No, we will never be fully free from sin because of our nature but we will gain some victory over it. Take some time this week to look at God in this way. Consider that He is Limitless, Immovable and Unsearchable. Thank Him in prayer this week for these things and plead with Him that the eyes of your heart will be open to seeing Him that way.

"Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens,Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like a great deep" (Psalm 36:5-6)