I voice-text notes and reminders to myself, especially when I am writing. For some reason, I get a lot of ideas when I am driving, so voice-texting notes is how I capture those thoughts.
I discovered a funny thing about auto correct while writing my Bible study, Return and Rest. Every time I said the word "intimacy," auto correct spelled it "into-the-sea." So I had a lot of voice memos about increasing "into the sea" with God.
That sounds familiar to me. I have battled trust issues over the years. Intimacy with God often sounded a lot like being asked to dive “into the sea.” I heard His invitations to intimacy and to more of Him. I longed deeply for the joys and freedoms I saw in other people.
My trust issues felt deeper. Following God often felt like being asked to jump into the sea from the edge of a very high cliff.
To receive more intimacy with God, we must release what stands between us and Him. For me, that release sometimes feels risky. There can be paralysis for me at the edge of the intimacy cliff. But, oh, the love of God! He has been so tender and gracious; He has been so patient.
He reminds me that feelings aren’t reality, that I am completely safe in His care, and that His power in both the seen and unseen realms is unrivaled. He holds my hand as I surrender fears to Him, making room in my heart for more trust in Him. I want you to know, friend, how very trustworthy my broken and battered heart has found Him to be.
But sometimes the path from the here of our circumstances to the there of deeper intimacy with God feels as if it requires stepping off the edge of a high cliff overlooking an angry, stormy sea churning against enormous rocks.
What allows us to take that first step? Our faith in Christ. Even if it is mustard seed sized. Jesus can speak “Peace! Be Still!” to all the churning waves. He’s done it before (see Mark 4:35-41).
God gives peace even when our faith isn’t strong; He heals when our belief is only a fraction of what we’d like it to be, like he did for that father in Mark 9:20-24 who cried, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” Our faith can grow, and we can pray for more faith like the disciples asked of Jesus (see Luke 17:5-6).
Like the disciples panicking in the boat then being stunned by the power of Jesus, you can learn not to be shut down or stuck by your pain points. They are an opportunity to praise God for giving you the chance to practice more trust. They are the places where we find our desperation for Him.
It’s not a bad thing to be desperate for God. The Psalms speak of this often. Psalm 84 is a beautiful poem speaking of longing for God, as well as the blessing of finding your strength in Him. Spend some time reading it and note the phrases that stand out to you. Sometimes noticing what jumps out at us in Scripture is a roadway to seeing the blocks and obstacles He wants to help us overcome.
If you find yourself stuck, longing for more of God, but maybe unsure about how to take next steps, I encourage you to explore the two resources I have released in the past few months. For a gentle encouragement to recall who you are in Christ, the Fully Known, Fully Loved devotional would make a great month long journey.
For a little deeper dive, check out Return and Rest: A Study in Isaiah 30, from which this blog post was adapted.