Deep Water Faith in the Shallow End

 Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense

Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle

With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is

But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle.

Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me

Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me.

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender, without losing all control

when I'm caught in the middle.

I love the song Somewhere In The Middle by the group Casting Crowns.  I'm sure its popularity among God's people is due to the haunting lyrics of being caught 'somewhere between who I was and who You're making me.'  At some point we all realize we've been there.  It's true for us today just as it has been true for God's people down through the ages.

As the Old Testament Book of Joshua opens, the Nation Israel is at the banks of the Jordan River ready to cross over into the Promised Land.  God told them that He had brought them out from the cruel bondage of the Egyptians in order to bring them into this land flowing with milk and honey.  Of course there was that period of 40 years wandering in the desert while they learned to listen to God's voice.  Now all 12 tribes are assembled here and ready to cross over the Jordan to the abundant life God had planned for them from the beginning.  Yes, it would be a land of milk and honey and great promise, but it wasn't going to be easy to receive all that God had for them.  There would be battles and wars to be fought; there would be enemy after enemy to conquer.  Promised Land living is not one of ease - it is life on the offense, moving forward and taking territory for the Lord.  It is walking fearlessly by faith and not by sight.

In the opening chapter of Joshua we read about 2 1/2 tribes who do not want to cross over into the land.  They would prefer to settle just at the border.  They had very large herds and flocks and had seen that this land, close but not quite where God wanted to take them, was very good for their livestock.  So they went to Moses and asked for the land.  They said:  "Do not make us cross the Jordan." (Num. 32).  Moses was angry that they would walk by sight - that they didn't want to wholehearedly follow where the Lord was leading.  This area they wanted looked good for them and their needs; so they compromised.  The men would go and fight with the other 9 1/2 tribes but would then come back and settle here.  And that's what happened; they settled for less than God wanted for them.  Oh He blessed them; they had their life of relative comfort raising their families and flocks and herds; but they also unwittingly set themselves up for attack.  With the Jordan River at their back they were now vulnerable to the enemy; when the attacks came they would be the first to go.

Solomon said there is nothing new under the sun and he was right.  God's people have not changed much since the years of Joshua.  God has called us out of our spiritual Egypts - a place of great bondage and slavery to sin - to bring us in to the abundant life of living in a spiritual Promised Land, a life on the offense, walking fearlessly by faith and taking territory for our Lord in our neighborhoods, our communities, our workplaces.  Yet so often we 'settle', and I include myself in this category.  I want to stay just close enough to the border because it is comfortable, it suits me, it makes sense, it's good enough.  It's deep water faith in the shallow end; it's fearless warriors in a picket fence; reckless abandon wrapped in common sense.  It's living 'somewhere in the middle'.  Almost Promised Land living, but not quite all the way in.

Jesus said:  'I have come that you may have life;

and life more abundantly.'

John 10:10

Lord, forgive me for wanting to live on the borders of the life to which You call me.  Amen.