He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.
2 Sam 22:17
Different versions render it many waters, mighty waters, great waters, raging waters, surging waters, but no matter how you describe it, it’s fearsome. We all know that we can’t survive long in tumultuous waters.
And He reached down from on high, took hold of me, and drew me out.
If you are a believer, this describes you. Every single one of us has been drowning, and God reached down and rescued us. Whether we fully comprehend the danger we were in or not, we were headed for eternal death, and only because of His gracious intervention are we saved.
There is no way to express how grateful I am.
But.
There is one thing we don’t always talk about. The seaweed.
Many, like me, didn’t truly recognize the depth of the dilemma. The water looked inviting, and I hardly realized when I strayed out of my depth. As I bobbed and floated, I luxuriated in the weightless feeling and didn’t notice the storm building on the horizon, the waves becoming larger. Then suddenly it was too late, and there was no land in sight! Then I cried out; I begged for deliverance.
And He drew me out. As I look back at the raging torrent, I realize how very close I was to a watery grave. What an incredible salvation!
But did I, as I was lifted out, grab a handful of seaweed and bring it along? Because it was familiar, something that drifted along with me, I keep it. I may not display it—I may dry it and tuck it away. But when I take it out and smell the salt spray, it evokes a memory of that fascinating feeling of weightlessness. Does it make me long (just a little) for the time of dreamy floating before the waters turned on me? Do I ever begin to wonder if I might have ridden out that storm myself without His intervention? Maybe it wasn’t really that bad?
Seaweed is sin. It is something that entangles me. It clouds my vision. Yes, the storm really was that bad. His salvation really was that miraculous. But the seaweed wraps around my legs and gets tangled in my hair. Bringing along the seaweed will drag me back down. He drew me OUT. Leave the seaweed to the sea. Don’t let it entangle you. Throw it away. Your new life has no room for it.
Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.
Hebrews 12:1-2
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