I love diving. I've had some of my best moments with the Lord underwater. At some point, I asked the Lord - why would You keep such a beautiful underwater world hidden for the land creatures to see? I felt like a new revelation was given to me when I asked a very simple question.
Yeshua often speaks in parables and metaphors. He's such an excellent storyteller and communicator, which I must say, one of His most attractive traits that draw me close to Him over and over again. So today, I would like to write about my underwater experience in parable/metaphor form.
The Kingdom of God is like the world underwater. One will not be able to see and know what is in there, without actually going there and experiencing it for himself. When he gets there, he won't see anything like it in his reality or his world. It's a different world, with colors, life, structure and peace that one cannot imagine to be possible. It is too wonderful for a man of the land to comprehend. Also, first hand experience is much better than the pictures, or in an observatory. One needs to be immersed in it to really know what it is about.
The holiness of God and the unholiness of man is a world of difference, like the land and the underwater. Holy and unholy have nothing in common. Similarly, the land and the underwater have nothing in common. If a person from the land would force himself to live underwater, he will die.
To survive the underwater, one must have faith in his suit and gears. Without faith in his equipment, it is impossible to enjoy the underwater, as one will be diving in fear of danger and death. The diver is required to trust in the weight belt that will keep him grounded, the wet suit that will keep him warm, the fins that will allow him to move quickly, the regulator that gives him breath, the buoyancy control device that keeps him on a level that he's at, and the knowledge of underwater diving, at the same time, trusting the dive master that he knows what he's doing. Similarly, a believer is called to wear the armor of God - the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
To communicate underwater, no audible words are necessary or heard. The divers communicate through a language that they can only understand. The goal of communication is to ask how you are - are you good and safe, the way to go, what you need to see. The job of the diver is to follow. The job of the dive master is to lead and help. Like in our relationship with God, realistically speaking - our opinions don't really matter as much as His truth. Our job is to know His commandments and follow them. His job is to lead and to help. Lastly, the diver's job is to trust the dive master, as there is no way to survive the underwater without trusting him. Similarly, we can't survive the life of a believer without trusting Him and His directions.
The goal of diving is to enjoy the underwater, to appreciate the life hidden from the world and to rest in that extraordinary peace that it brings. Like the life in the Messiah, the goal is to enjoy Him and His presence, to appreciate the life that He has given us, and to enjoy His rest and the extraordinary peace that He brings. When we leave that solemn and sacred place, that peace won't depart our hearts and we carry it with us, even when we are above water, or in the world.
Photo taken from Phuket Scuba Diving
