Deep Water

"He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

    he drew me out of deep waters." Psalm 18:16

Have you ever had the feeling that you can barely keep your head above water?  I know that I've personally used that phrase many times before in my life.  I feel like I'm drowning.  I feel like if I have to carry one more thing that the weight will be too much and I'll just go under.  The thought that all I have above water is just my eyes and nose, and I'm barely breathing is a familiar one.  \

But GOD...

I absolutely love that phrase.  It means that no matter what my mess looks like that there is a God that is bigger than me.  So, Psalm 18:16 tells us that when we are in a rough spot, God cares.  He's not just some God on a mountaintop that looks down and says, "Oh what a shame.  That must be difficult."  No, God reaches down from on high and holds on to us.  Then He draws us out of our drowning and saves us.  

This Psalm was written when David was an old man.  When he wrote this he had the clarity of hindsight.  So, David could look back and see where God had saved him when he felt like the waters were deep.  And, David had some deep waters.  He had been chased by many enemies who had tried to steal his throne.  He had murdered, committed adultery, and a myriad of other things.  But, God was with David.  Even in the tough times.  

And, God didn't say, "David you have sinned and therefore I'm not going to help you."  When David went to God, God listened and loved him, because David was seeking God's heart.  We have to seek God in order to find him.  I think we expect God to just always show up.  We expect that he will just do everything and we will not have to put in the work.  

Psalm 18 verse 16 tells us otherwise.  It says that God reaches down from Heaven and takes a hold of us, but then he draws us out of deep waters.  We have to choose to swim to shore.  God is a gentleman.  He's not going to force us into something we don't want.  So, if we want to stay swimming in our deep waters God will let us.  However, God's heart is not for us to be drowning.  He wants us to be free from the deep waters.  He wants us to be with him where it's safe and peaceful.

"He brought me out into a spacious place;

    he rescued me because he delighted in me." Psalm 18:19

A few verses later David tells us why God wants to save us.  Why God brings us out of our deep waters.  God delights in us.  He wants to be with us.  He wants to see us content in where we are.  God wants us to be happy.  But we have to choose God.  The word spacious place here referred to somewhere that was high and dry.  Meaning that it was safe.  God wants to protect us because He loves us.

I don't know what your deep waters are.  You may be struggling with who you are.  You may feel like God has abandoned you.  You may feel like you are drowning in a sea of unending tasks at work or home.  Your deep waters may be depression, anxiety, and fear that you will never see a happy day again.  The struggle of unfulfilled dreams may be where you're swimming today.  Wherever you find yourself today, if you are in deep water and feel like you just can't keep swimming, God wants to draw you out of that place.  God wants to save you because God delights in you.  You are a precious creation of God's that He longs to protect.  But we must make the choice to swim toward him.

I pray that today and every day that we would choose to swim toward our Father God.  I pray that we will let God bring us to a spacious place that is high and dry for our safety and with room to grow in his love.