Launch into the deep

From earliest childhood, I held a great fear of the deep end of the swimming pool. It was very important for me to have my feet on something solid – to get out of my depth, to feel nothing but water under my feet threw me into near panic.

My flawed attempts at swimming with any kind of ease contributed to my problems. I never seemed to master the art of taking my breath while stroking my way through the water. When I was a young teenager, there was an event at youth camp where an older person kept my head under the water (his idea of a joke). I thrashed about, struggling to surface and take a breath.  My anxiety only became further entrenched and I finally put paid to trying to develop my friendship with water. From then on, I made every effort to stay on terra firma. I still avoid the deep end to this very day.

No doubt this fear has kept me from some interesting and exhilarating experiences along the way - scuba diving and water sports of various kinds. But my deep-end phobia would become tragic if carried over into the spiritual sphere.

A new song

When Jesus had stopped teaching the crowds, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep” (Luke 5:4) – and we can hear His voice still. “Deep calls unto deep” (Psalm 42:7). But Lord. Please don’t take me out of my comfort zone. I like things the way they are. Meanwhile, Jesus’s voice persists, “Launch out into the deep.”

You see, God’s heart is for us, and although He is intently aware of our struggle, He knows that it is those “who do business in great waters – they see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep” (Psalm 107:23,24). God wants to take us increasingly into His ways and down His paths, Psalm 77:19. The simpler, safer course might appear to be to stay in the shallows, but it also contributes to a boring existence when God has made us to launch into the deep!

If we don’t launch and leave our moorings, we’ll never know what God could or would have done.

There are times in the life of every christian when the Lord presents us with the possibility of doing, perhaps even becoming, much more than we could ever have imagined. He wishes to draw us into a deeper prayer-walk, a deeper faith life, deeper relationships, Proverbs 27:17. And, if we don’t launch and leave our moorings, we’ll never know what God could or would have done. He only stops because we stop! He only moves when we move!

Earlier in our marriage, my wife and I spent a lot of our energy ministering into other couples’ relationships. I came to a point where I began praying (like Caleb), “Lord, give us this mountain (my own way of saying Lord, launch us into the deep, multiply our effectiveness).” In no time at all, we were approached for a 90 minute talkback interview on Radio Rhema, New Zealand’s christian radio. What a thrill it was to receive that invitation! Yet when we arrived at Rhema and were ushered into the studio, to be sat behind desks with imposing mikes and sophisticated gear all around us, different feelings began to surface. Then, to be told our radio audience would probably be around 70,000 – talk about leaving one’s comfort zone.

Just that morning, the Lord had given us a wonderful verse:

I have strength for all things in Christ… I am ready for anything, and equal to anything through Him.
Philippians 4:13, Amplified Bible

That makes all the difference when we launch out into the deep.

Jesus takes Simon’s boat and directly He takes control, He steers towards the deep. Nothing’s changed. With the boat of our life in His hands, He’ll do the same. How good it is to know if we get the Word (launch), we also get the Presence (Jesus Himself).

When God invites us to launch into the deep, it’s because he has great plans for us. He’s interested in giving us more than a can of tuna fish – He wants to fill the boat, and fill it to overflowing. Life isn’t a dress rehearsal, it’s the real thing. Just “hanging on” till Jesus comes is a recipe for the greatest possible regret. Faith is spelt R-I-S-K. Are we willing?

It could mean sitting behind a fancy desk with imposing mikes and a large audience, or it may be something as obvious as resolving a relationship conflict, but a step that means “deep waters” for you. It might be giving attention to a difficult situation we’d rather forget about. It could be a fresh willingness to make one self vulnerable to the counsel of others. Whatever it may be, it’s an invitation to move out of our comfort zone and launch into the deep.

It could even mean entering a new and somewhat terrifying chapter of our life. A little over ten years ago for me, that was tackling my third major heart surgery. At times like that, I remember my wife’s word to me when we had our first introduction to abseiling at our home group camp, “the worst step is the one out into empty space.” We just need to plunge into God’s plan for our life; He takes over from there.

A few years back, a massive herd of whales beached themselves on the coasts of southern Alaska. Veterinarian specialists were called in; they did everything they could to move them, but failed. They looked for a cause and finally investigated the stomach contents. It was discovered that the whales were full of sardines. In effect, they had “beached” in pursuit of small things. These kings of the ocean had swum in too close to the shore in pursuit of much smaller game than would ordinarily deserve their attention. What is taking up our energy – in personal life, in family life, in local church life? Scripture speaks about the possibility of being engaged in “too small a thing” (Isaiah 49:6). With new resolve, let’s steer for the Deep!

Let Oswald Chambers have the final word:

If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the smooth waters, just inside the harbour moor but always moored. Launch all on God, go out on the great swelling tide of His purpose.
Oswald Chambers