Lately, in prayer, I have begun asking God for deeper waters in my personal life, within my family, and in my church. To go deeper in His Will, His Presence, my desire for Him. To go deeper in my Bible studying, in my prayer life, and in my walk with Him. To ask for a deeper experience for my church, for a deeper move of God in our services, for a deeper commitment, dedication, and relationship with Him as a church whole, for a deeper church prayer time, for deeper ministering and understanding of His Word.

This thought brought to mind the Scripture passage found in Ezekiel 47:1-5 (KJV):

“(1) Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.

(2) Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

(3) And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.

(4) Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.

(5) Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.”

I have heard this Scripture passage preached so many times about how we shouldn’t just step in and get our feet wet, or just enough to wade in, or not even just enough to walk in up to our waist, but to be so full and deep that we must swim. Enough that it is either sink or swim for us, enough that it fully immerses us in the Spirit (water) where it is everywhere, surrounding us, and is in us.

We, of course, have to step into the water first; we always have to take the first steps when we deepen our relationship with God. It’s just getting started, so it might look like “baby steps” at first. Perhaps just committing to pray for five minutes every day, or reading a few verses or a chapter in your Bible once a day, or fasting one meal a week. However, it is crucial not to stop there.

Colossians 2:6–7 (KJV) states: “(6) As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: (7) Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

This tells us that once we have received Christ Jesus, our walk and relationship with Him begins. We must establish a firm foundation in our relationship with Him. I have heard my pastor say many times that when we are saved, filled with the Holy Ghost, and baptized in the name of Jesus, that is not the end of our journey in seeking God, but is the start of our journey. Being saved is not the end goal, but is just the beginning of our journey and relationship with God.

Ephesians 3:17-19 (KJV)

“(17) That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (19) And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

Once we are firmly rooted and grounded in Christ, we will gain deeper wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of God. As we grow deeper in God, we can be filled with all the fullness of God. It is a beautiful thing to have that close walk with our Wonderful Savior and Redeemer, to know Him on a personal and intimate level. It is also a beautiful thing to know that He desires the same thing with us as well.

Jeremiah 31:3 “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

Once we make that start and commit to God, we begin walking towards that deeper water. As it reaches our ankles, the next level is the water that comes up to our knees. When I read, “the waters were to the knees,” it made me think of spending time on our knees in prayer. This is the time when we need to “buckle down” and get our prayer life established with God. When you’re getting to know someone and wanting to get close to them, what is the one thing you do most with them? You talk to them, you communicate with them, you discuss everything under the sun with them. You discuss your goals, desires, pains, frustrations, and so on. You also get to know them! With God and prayer, we worship Him, love Him through our praises, and get to know Him through His Word.

Next, you walk deeper, and the water rises to your waist. If you have ever walked in water up to your waist, then you will know that it is not very easy or swift-moving. It takes laborious effort to walk in water that is at your waist. It takes purpose and dedication to walk in waist-deep water. This is where you decide, are you going further to the deeper part, or are you going back to where it is “easier” to walk? This is where Satan tries his hardest to discourage us because he knows we are on the brink, or the edge of that drop off where the water is over our head. If he can get us to turn back to “safer” waters, then he knows we will never reach our full potential in “deeper” waters. Walking in waist-deep waters calls us to do everything we can to keep moving forward, to pray harder, to study God’s Word more, to keep our minds fixed on Him and not the allurement of an “easier” life that is behind us. It seems that in this moment, life is the hardest, and we are working the hardest in our walk with God.

But then! When you step off that edge and your feet give way, when you make that plunge and fully commit to God, you realize that the water deep enough to swim in is freeing! You have freedom in God! You have the trust and confidence in God to keep you from sinking and drowning, because you have already put the time and effort into your relationship with Him back when the waters were at your ankles, knees, and waist. Now you can reach your full potential in God, and you can explore deeper levels in God that you never thought possible. How wonderful this feeling is! Knowing that the deeper you go in the spiritual waters, the more your love, confidence, and desire for God grow. And the beautiful thing is, it never stops. The depth that we can achieve in God and in our relationship with God never stops. There are always new heights, new potentials, new depths, new things to learn, new ways to serve Him, new ways to love Him, new people to share Him with; it’s always new and renewing in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17(KJV) states, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Lamentations 3:22–23 (KJV), “(22) It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. (23) They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

– A Redeemed Ruby