Immersed In The River
Written by Jarred Rushing
(6 minutes)
It was at this time that John the Baptizer began to preach in the desert of Judah. His message was this: "Heaven's kingdom is about to appear--so you'd better keep turning away from evil and turn back to God!" Isaiah was referring to John when he prophesied:
A thunderous voice! One will be crying out in the wilderness,
"Prepare yourself for the Lord's coming and level a straight path inside your hearts for him."
Now, John wore clothing made from camel's hair, tied at the waist with a leather strap, and his food consisted of dried locusts and wild honey. A steady stream of people from Jerusalem, all the surrounding countryside, and the region near the Jordan came out to the wilderness to be baptized by him. And while they were publicly confessing their sins, he would immerse them in the Jordan River. (Matthew 3:1-6)
Yesterday we learned about the wilderness and why Abba is so passionate about luring us to this place, so He can speak tenderly to our hearts and transform us from religious slaves into intimate lovers of God. This wilderness walk with Abba will redefine us and everything that we've ever believed about Him and about ourselves. It can be scary at times because we've found our identity in so many other things instead of Abba's voice, and when those things get shaken and begin to be removed it can feel like you're being exposed or unveiled, like you're losing parts of yourself even though those parts were rooted in a false identity.
After John goes through his own wilderness walk he becomes a thundering voice that calls other people into the wilderness to have their hearts washed in a river. Anytime you see the Jordan River mentioned in scripture it is calling our attention to Abba's love and our beloved identity. "Jordan" in the Hebrew language literally means "that which is flowing down." The river that is flowing down from Abba's throne is His unconditional love for His children. It is always flowing down and He is calling all of us to be immersed in it. This is what produces change in our lives. This is what produces real repentance, metanoia, a complete change of mind.
This is why I envision our wilderness walk with Abba like we're wading into the river of His love.
We always start in the shallow end. This is where easy things fall away. This is where you shed trivial desires that mostly pertain to life in this natural, physical world. Stuff you always thought you needed now feels small and insignificant. Almost in the blink of an eye you find yourself able to walk away from things that you once used as a crutch in life. These are the things that you would always run to when you felt alone or unacceptable, but now that you're discovering that you are never alone and always acceptable to Abba, the running starts to cease. You notice your behavior is starting to change. And then you wade out a little further into the river of His love and the current picks up and begins to carry some bigger things away.
We've moved away from trivial, natural desires and the river seems to be flowing with force against our long-held beliefs. This is the part of the river where our theology gets washed. Things we've always thought were true about God, His love is beginning to redefine. And we're finding out in the process just how much stock we put into those beliefs. They somehow got woven into the fabric of our identity and when they're questioned or redefined we begin to feel some anxiety or even some offense rise up in us. This is how you know that a belief has become a stronghold in your heart: when it can't be poked or prodded without producing offense, anger or anxiety. This is also where fingerprints of the past begin to be exposed. Abba's love wants to wash away all the illegal ways that we were handled by others. I'll be honest with you, this is where most people turn around and go back to Egypt. This is where you start facing hard things and surrendering to the flow of His love feels a lot like you're losing control, like you're losing your footing...and you are. The fun of the river is being swept away and allowing yourself to be directed by the river's flow instead of your own. If staying in control is important to you, then you won't find any enjoyment in the river of God's love. Allowing the river to wash away our untrue theology and the fingerprints of the past is a healing journey. Abba wants us to be completely whole, every part of us must be immersed in His lovingkindness.
And then when you think there's nothing left and you're stumbling and trying to stay upright in the water, the river suddenly gets deeper and picks up speed again. Your feet fly up and your head goes under. At this point, it's too late to turn around. And Abba's love addresses the deepest thing about you: the motive of your heart. It's the ugliest parts of who we are that we try our very best to hide from everyone, even ourselves. You know you've tried to hide it from yourself when it seems shocking to you once it's revealed. I've had Abba reveal things about me and my response was, "Abba, I didn't know that was in there." That's because I hid it so well that I even forgot where it was! Why does Abba feel the need to expose even the ugliest parts of who we are? It's not really something that He needs, it's something that we need. He wants us to be a first-hand witness of just how deep His love flows for us. He wants us to know that His love is so unconditional that it can even embrace the dirtiest, ugliest parts of who we are - effortlessly with no hesitation. This is why we must be immersed in beloved identity. This is why He wants us fully convinced of His love. Because in order for us to enjoy ourselves in this river, we must know that every part of us is loved. Once we know that Abba loves us entirely, we will stop trying to protect ourselves and control the flow of our life, and we will finally be able to enjoy the abundant life that Jesus came to give us.
No matter what part of the river you are in right now, keep wading with Abba. The exposure is not meant to produce shame or condemnation or fear. The exposure is so you can witness first-hand just how much Abba loves you. You'll never be more loved than you are right now. And that doesn't just pertain to the clean parts of you that you deem worthy enough to show the world. It applies to the leper that you've hidden in the deepest corner of your heart, too.
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Worship: "Preference" by Rachel Morley
Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place
Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!
