Breaking the Surface

In February, on the Love Like You Mean It cruise, I had the opportunity to do one of my favorite things- snorkeling. We stopped in Roatán, Honduras, jumped into a van, and drove across to an island with a reef. Everything was quaint and native, not commercialized, so just being there was visually stunning. We got onto a primitive boat that motored us out a little way from shore. It was breathtakingly beautiful as we could see the coastline. We all donned our masks and snorkels, grabbed our fins, and jumped in.

The moment I put my face into the water, I was mesmerized. It was an entirely different world! I saw so many different colors and shapes of fish. One of the guys dove down and brought a lobster back up with him. Our guide, who was still on the boat, called out, “Shark, shark!” We looked over and saw about a 4-foot shark swimming by, minding his own business. Two stingrays swam under us. The coral was alive and colorful. The entire water-saturated view was beyond description--I didn’t want to take my eyes off everything.

The only thing separating me from the beautiful world all around me was just putting on a mask and breaking the surface of the water. The thought of only being separated by a thin veil made me start thinking spiritually. When we sit down to read our Bible and be with God, we often pray Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. That is a prayer God loves to answer, and He does so faithfully. That is a prayer asking God to remove the veil, our blinders from seeing the spiritual realities all around us and in us.

This morning, as I opened my Bible and asked God to speak, I felt like I was back snorkeling. He opened up another world to me. I could not believe the power and beauty of His Word that He allowed me to see. It was just what my heart needed, and it was breathtaking as God revealed it. I didn’t want to close my Bible and continue on with my day. I wanted to stay right there looking at all God wanted to show me.

Trent and I have been praying about something for 4 years. To say I am weary, confused, and at times discouraged would be very accurate. On many days, I do not see the life or the beauty. I brought all of that to the Lord again this morning, then opened to the next scripture planned for today. It was James 5:7-12. I read that God tells us to be patient twice in just five verses. He also said to consider the lives of the prophets. (As saints, our lives are more similar than you might think.)

These four things seemed alive and in living color:

1. Be patient.

2. Establish your heart, for the Lord is coming back.

3. We consider those blessed who remain steadfast.

4. The Lord is compassionate and merciful.

As soon as I began to digest what I was reading, my breath was taken away. Do you ever wonder if God sees, if God knows? We know intellectually that He does. But today, I knew beautifully, powerfully that He sees and knows. This Scripture was for me today and every day as we walk this road of so far, unanswered prayer. It was as if I put my head back underwater and saw the breathtaking beauty of God, His Word, and His answer to my prayer for help. His timing was perfect. His words were perfect. I knew He was seeing, hearing, and answering, and I do not know of anything more beautiful and breathtaking than that--the God of the universe taking the time to speak to me.

1. Be patient

I would like to believe that I highly value efficiency, but the truth is, I am a very impatient person. Thankfully, patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit. I have a Helper who is perfect in patience and can form that in me as I yield to Him.

2. Establish your heart for the Lord is coming back

How I long for an established heart! How do our hearts become steady, established? How do they see the breathtaking beauty that is right there below the surface? By reading, remembering, and standing on Truth, the Truth that we find in Jesus and His Word. Recently, I heard that the one who keeps his eyes on eternity for good does the most good while living here on earth. Remembering that Jesus is coming back and will one day recreate everything perfectly brings hope to my soul and a joy I can’t keep hidden.

3. We consider those blessed who remain steadfast

Notice the blessing isn’t in getting what you are praying for. The blessing is remaining close to Jesus, continuing to walk and talk with Him even when the storm is raging and the darkness is all around. James tells us in chapter 1, verse 3, that the trial produces steadfastness, and that steadfastness produces blessing and hope.

4. The Lord is compassionate and merciful

In my trial, unanswered prayer, I have a God who moves toward me with compassion and mercy. He sees my sin, suffering, confusion, and doubt, but instead of repelling Him, it draws Him to me. Not because I am good but because He is good, kind, compassionate, and merciful.

I can hardly wait for tomorrow. Every morning is another chance to pull on the mask, break the surface, and find ourselves in another world-the one that was there all along, just beneath the ordinary. The reef doesn’t change just because we’re not looking at it. God’s Word is already alive with color and movement and things that take your breath away. He’s simply waiting for us to put our faces in.

It’s a thin veil. And the Holy Spirit loves to lift it for anyone who comes with eyes to see.