DIVE IN

​Dive In
GO DEEP!
Terry R. Baughman
“He measured off another thousand; it was now a river over my head, which I was unable to swim across. It was a deep swollen river—a river no one could cross” (Ezekiel 47:5 TPT).

With great trepidation the novice swimmer steps into the stream. He stays in the safe shallows with feet firmly planted on the secure rocks. Only after much coaxing and baby steps he finally gets deep enough to splash around in the refreshing waters, still very much anchored near enough to the shore where he could dash out before a wave or a prankster pushes him out too deep. He watches with envy when others dive off the dock and swim with long smooth strokes, effortlessly gliding through the surface of the water. 

Fear sometimes holds us back from attempting what may seem simple for others. We paddle in shallow shores while longing for more. More courage to attempt the depths. More skill to be able to safely move through the deep, surrounded by darker waters, yet unwilling to take the necessary risks to learn greater skills and experience larger challenges. Baby steps are only good if we move forward at the same time. They are not tiny steps while remaining in the same place, but progressive movement to the next step, deeper waters, and greater opportunities.

Our challenge is to continually move forward into deeper places. The prophet Ezekiel saw a vision of such a setting. He saw a stream flowing from beneath the Temple threshold. A shining man brought out a measuring line. He measured about 1700 feet (1000 cubits). Ezekiel said the water was ankle deep. Another measuring of the same distance revealed that the stream was now knee deep. After another segment of measure the water was now waist deep. Finally, the next measure brought him to a river that was too deep to cross. While every nuance of the prophecy may not be understood, there is a yearning to experience something deeper, something more vast than our ability to contain or cross over. 

What God is doing in this generation is beyond anything we have ever experienced. Our challenge is to prepare for greater things than ever before, miracles we cannot comprehend. The outpouring of God’s Spirit will be greater than what any other generation has seen. It will be beyond our control and more than our buildings can contain. The latter rain of revival will be similar to the beginning when it was so great the believers met in the Temple and in their homes, “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47 NKJ). Paul said that he taught believers, “publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20 NKJ). When there is no room to grow more, we will move outdoors!
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We may dabble in the supernatural and have an occasional miracle. An occasional baptism may be sufficient to excite the congregation and an evangelist may stir us to new commitments, but God has so much more planned for the last generation. What He desires far exceed anything we can imagine. 
When the waters are troubled and the storms arise, we will see the incredible manifestation of God’s power and the resulting conversion of millions. It’s not time for a tremor of spiritual movement; it’s time for an earthquake of renewal. It’s time for the accumulation of many miracles to become an avalanche of revelation when the world sees the powerful name of Jesus on full display. The time has come when there’s no other option than to just DIVE IN. Yes, it’s over our heads and deeper than we can comprehend, but we will see the glory of God in ways we could never imagine. 

Paul wrote, “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19 NIV). This is God’s desire, His purpose, and His plan. We might as well get ready, and DIVE IN!

Theme passage:
“Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life” (Ephesians 3:17 TPT).