Discovering The Depth

I’ve been watching our pond dry up. 

To give you perspective, the log in front of the duck should be under about four feet of water. I never even knew that log was there until this summer. That’s the funny thing about things drying up— you discover stuff that had been lying just beneath the surface the whole time. Stuff that lay hidden, but as the water recedes,

it becomes exposed because there’s nothing for it to hide behind anymore. 

Every few days, I’ve been walking out there to take a look. At first, the receding waterline was barely perceptible. But there were signs. There were markers that the water was leaving. Visible water-level stains on the bridge beams, tree roots peeking out from the water’s surface. I kept hoping for rain, but I just got more exposed tree roots and embankment instead. I don’t know how deep our pond is, but I may find out before it’s all said and done. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing— for something to dry up so you can see how deep it really was. For something to dry up, so you can see it’s depth.

As I watch my pond dry up, I ponder how God seems to be allowing the same thing spiritually. At first it was barely perceptible, and I don’t think most people realized what was happening. But there were signs. There were markers. Now that things are being exposed, things that had been lurking beneath the surface all that time, I think people are beginning to realize that there is nowhere to hide anymore. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing…

…for something to dry up so we can see how deep it really was. 

(Luke 8:13) The seeds on rocky ground are those who hear the word and receive it with joy, but they have no root. They believe for a season, but in the time of testing, they fall away.

(Matt 24:8-13) All these are the beginning of birth pains…they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will arise and mislead many. Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.

(Heb 12:26,27) At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth, but heaven as well.” The words “Once more” signify the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that the unshakable may remain.