Call of the Wild Ministries
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My Blog
Blog
The Tide
| Posted on February 20, 2016 at 12:07 PM |
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Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels. In some places, the ocean is rather predictable. Some shore points offer a wide beach and
predictable waves. Those points become
hot spots for tourists, swimmers, and surfers.  This winter we
traveled to Northern California. We were
there with family for about 2 l/2 months.
This shore point was different from all we had ever encountered. (See "my bench" on the bluff, where I liked to spend time.)  There were many bluffs and cliffs. The view from the bluffs, however, was
spectacular. The cliffs were beautiful and golden, and the foliage with red was gorgeous.  Access to the beach at some
spots was a bit treacherous and uninviting to most. Some were steep and muddy when it
rained. The clay could create a lot of
difficulty before it dried out. One day,
we found out that when we got that kind of mud on our shoes, it was hard to
walk – and a real chore to get the mud off.
Sometimes, there were
those who braved the steep slopes and tried to skirt around the mud. The horses carrying riders were able to
maneuver down the slopes quickly. With
long walks or driving, we could get to some more desirable entrances onto the
beach. It was a narrow beach.
When the tide was high, there was very little beach. The signs were ominous. Signage like – UNPREDICTABLE WAVES, RIP
CURRENTS, and TSUNAMI ROUTE alerted visitors.
In a few places, there was extreme erosion with warnings to not come too
close to the edge.  One day, we were
standing on the beach. It was obvious
that the waves were erratic. My husband
was standing on a mound of sand that the ocean had orchestrated. It seemed so high above the waves that safety
seemed evident. I walked up on the mound
with him after he took some pictures. We
were facing each other, engaged in conversation, when the unexpected
happened: a high, powerful wave came up
over the mound of sand we were standing on.
It surprised us and covered our feet and calves. Quickly it was gone. Our shoes and jeans were wet, and we laughed hysterically. Such fun!
Yes! We understood completely the
term “erratic waves.” I was reminded
several times during my stay of the song lyrics “Like a crashing wave, flowing
over me. Holy Love, flow in me.” I know from experience that the spiritual, crashing
waves are God’s mercy that comes through the conviction of the Holy Spirit to
cleanse us from unrighteousness – leaving only His Love in the wake.So, we know that God is love, Jesus is our Savior, and, the
Holy Spirit loves us enough to teach, counsel, and guide us (if we allow
it). The Living Water of the Holy Spirit
is what we all need – and lots of waves of it – to keep us well-hydrated and
healthy.  We can just skirt the
shore, refusing to allow the water touch us.
We should not just flirt with Living Water, but it happens to The Church
more than we can imagine. Many have not
been educated from the Word of God on this subject, and they have no experience
on this spiritual shore. It’s that
shallow walk that prevents us from being overcome by the Spirit of God! Useless, dead religion is a portion that many
have embraced without knowing the joy of “more.” Some receive a thimble full of water or let a
small wave hit them – but it’s gone quickly.
It’s not enough to make any impact.
It won’t sustain or change. It’s
a sad state of affairs because there is no empowerment and no spiritual growth
– only despair in the not knowing what you are missing.The call in this hour is to become immersed – totally
covered – totally surrendered. It’s the
only way to have victory. There are some
man-made barriers. Like the bluffs and
cliffs that keep beach visitors at bay, man-man doctrines, the enemy’s devices,
and fear can stop a believer from getting close to the Living Water flow.  God wants to send
another wave of glory your way. He wants
to engulf you so that all of your unholy expectations go by the wayside – just
like driftwood. He wants you to venture
out on the beach farther than you’ve ever gone before. The only thing is . . . these waves are
unpredictable and can swamp the untruths and fears at a moment’s notice, leaving
you with truth and faith in JESUS – the only way to THE FATHER! |