A Fish Out of Water

            I was talking with the Lord one day and I was contemplating the love He has for me.  I couldn’t fathom why He would love me like His Word says He does.  He assured me that He did, but I couldn’t understand why.  Why would Someone so awesome, wonderful, and perfect love someone who failed so clearly to live anywhere near those standards?  He said without even a hint of condemnation that I felt so unworthy because of my idolatry. I had walked long enough with the Lord to know that idolatry was my problem, but I had no clue what He was talking about.  He’d lost me at the drug store.  He proceeded to ask me a few questions.  Could I compete with a fish in swimming? No.  Could I compete with the agility of a bird in flight? No.  Could I compete with a monkey in swinging through the trees? No.  Neither could I do a good job at being God. 

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was all about removing ourselves from dependency upon the Living God to live independent lives just like God is independent.  “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be open, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5.  Instead we were created to be immersed and dependent in the Lord just as a fish is immersed and dependent upon water.  You see death is a separation.  Physical death is a separation of the spirit from the body. That certainly was the end result of the fall in Eden, but more eminent was the separation from the Lord.  No longer were they relying on the Lord, but they were separated from complete reliance on His interpretation of life.  They immediately plunged into shame.  They were fish out of water gasping for the breathe of life flopping on the beach without direction and freedom of movement.  Their jump for independence left them in worse straights than they could have imagined.

            But the Lord has Himself made a way to get us back into the Living water through the cross of Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Galatians 2:20.  So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Galatians 5:16. “I consider them (past fleshly achievements) rubbish, that I might gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith”. Philippians 3:8-9.

            O Lord give me the gift of repentance for I have trusted in myself and not in You.  Forgive me for exalting myself in idolatry.  You alone are God.  I ask, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, You would reclaim Your rightful throne in my life as Lord and God; that I would live by the Spirit and have the righteousness that comes from God.  I thank you Lord Jesus that because of Your mercy and grace and by the power of Your Spirit, You are going to get this fish back into the Living water.  Thank you sweet Jesus! Amen.

            “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depend on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” Colossians 2:8.