We’ve all probably sung the lyrics or heard them dancing across the radio waves into our car.
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand
Oceans – Hillsong United
I’ve heard the warnings to stop singing the song unless I really, truly live it. And I’ve checked my heart and decided that I want to keep singing those hard lyrics. Because I know that no matter how painful, I want to live a life of faith.
So I’ve sang loud and passionate…
So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
Oceans – Hillsong United
Then, a few months ago, we took a scary step of faith.
And it’s been hard.
And it’s been scary.
And there have been days of questioning and begging God to show us what to do and to make it clear if we’ve taken the right step.
Because when you feel like you’re slipping over the edge and you can’t see the hand that’s going to pull you back to safety, it’s easy to look around and become ungrateful. It’s easy to spot all the things that would make life safer and more comfortable. It’s easy to give God a list of all the things you need to keep you from ruin…and from faith.
And before Christmas our Pastor said that trials are a gift from God. Because in order for there to be a miracle, there has to be a space where you need God to come through. In order to see God move powerfully, you need to come to the end of yourself…you need a trial.
We can’t live safe and secure and organized and expect God to do miracles.
We have to live boldly and step out in faith where we can’t see the bottom.
We have to say yes to following God into the situations that we can’t handle on our own.
There was a day where the anxiety and the fear were beginning to overwhelm me, and this song came on my playlist.
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand
Oceans – Hillsong United
And in that moment, God whispered, “This is your ocean deep.”
And I knew.
This is our great unknown.
This is where our trust is without borders.
This is where we are deeper than we could ever have wandered.
This is where we walk by faith, not by sight.
This is where our faith is made strong.
This is where God has to come through because we’re in over our heads.
This is our ocean deep…
…for this season.
There will be more. There will be different trials and fears and struggles. And God will come through every time. But in the meantime, we are called to have faith.
And in that moment, my perspective shifted. I knew I needed to stop begging God to take away the problems. I need to stop telling Him how to fix this scary situation so that I could feel safe and comfortable.
Instead, I chose in that moment to praise Him for the waves that seemed to be overwhelming us. I chose to thank Him for the provision that He would bring even thought I couldn’t see it yet. I chose to rejoice because as much as I hate the storms, I need them in order to live a life of faith.
Because…“faith isn’t faith unless it’s faith.”
And…God can’t work miracles in our lives unless we are in a place where we need Him to.
So today, as I’m still waiting to see the bigger picture of this season, I’m praising God for the trial and trusting that in this I will find Him and find that He is mighty.
What is your ocean deep today?
Are you asking God to take it away? Or are you rejoicing in advance? Are you praising Him for this opportunity to grow your faith?
Be blessed
<3
