There’s a joke now (thanks to the timely sketch comedy of the one and only, John Crist) that pokes fun at Christian music writers and our overuse of water references. I’m not debating whether that be true or not (and maybe there are more creative ways to talk about it), but I think it’s notable to point out that there’s a good chance we, the Church, reference the water so often because of what the water represents. And what the water represents is so important, it’s worth taking the time to talk about (and write songs about).
Let’s start here: So, the prophet Ezekiel has a vision. In this vision, he’s shown the temple of God. And by ‘shown,’ I mean He gets the grand tour (even into the inner courts - and now I’m jealous. Thanks, Ezekiel.) But, read it for yourself, it’s amazing. Eventually, He ends up at the headwaters of a river flowing up and out of the temple. His tour guide leads him into this river one thousand cubits at a time and as their distance increases so does the depth and width of the river. First to his ankles, then to his knees, then to his chest, and soon after so deep “...that no one could cross”. So, he swims (I assume) to the edge of the river, and when he reaches the bank, he looks and sees a bunch of trees. Then, his guide tells him that “wherever the river flows everything lives.” (Sidenote: you’re gonna slap that verse on the side of a coffee mug when your done reading this). So, if you’re like me, you’re probably thinking, “okay… this is cool and all, but what’s your point, Ryan”. Well, I’m glad you asked. Let’s jump to the new testament.
Enter: JESUS.
So, now it’s AD 33 (roughly), and Jesus has come to earth, and He calls himself the temple of God. I’ll give you a scripture reference cause I’m nice. In John 2, one of my favorite moments of Jesus’s life on earth happens. He sees a bunch of people selling stuff in the temple courts, gets zealous for His house and starts flipping tables. (He’s so much more than the blue-eyed, clean-shaven, hovering halo Jesus you’ve seen in the pictures on your grandmother's wall). Then, the jews demand He explain himself and Jesus simply says, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” To which they reply, (and I’m paraphrasing) “No way… this temple took 46 years to build”. And then, thankfully John gives us the insider knowledge and says, “But the temple He had spoken of was his body.” There you go. Jesus is the temple.
Then, in John 4, Jesus calls himself the Water of Life. He says, that whoever drinks of this water will never thirst. He’s not talking about thirst in the physical sense, but of spiritual thirst. How often do we find ourselves grasping for the things we think will bring us life, but in the end fail to satisfy. And how many time do we thirst for the “real thing,” but instead drink up the cheap lie? Jesus calls us to drink from the fount of living water - to drink from the well of life, Himself - the water that will always satisfy.
Now, let’s draw some parallels! (Yay!) So, Ezekiel speaks of a river that flows from the temple in an endless, exponentially vast supply and wherever the river runs, there is life. And life abundantly. And then hundreds of years later, Jesus comes down to earth and calls himself the temple. And while hanging on the cross, giving His life for us so that we might have life and life abundantly. He is pierced for our sins and from His side poured out living water. This Water of Life, Jesus, is the gift offered to those who thirst (Rev: 22:17). Jesus came so that we would have life! Everything lives where this river runs and the current of grace washes over those who are dead in their sin, making them eternally alive in Jesus.
And so, Jesus, because He first loved us, offers Himself to us. And He invites us to believe. And for those who believe, He gives this promise, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” This glorious river flowing from the throne of God, bringing life wherever it runs, is now bursting forth springs inside us. So, in the same way, Ezekiel was lead one thousand cubits at a time deeper into the river, the invitation for those who have been made alive by the river is to also dive further into its depths. To explore the incomparable riches of His grace and His love for us. Just past the surface, is we were we truly begin to scratch the surface of our understanding of just how high, just how wide, and just how deep the Father’s love is for us. There, we experience the freedom, the healing, and the victory that is our in Christ Jesus. Because “... we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Roman 8:37-39)
So, if you need freedom, dive into the waters. Embrace the love He has poured out for you and His Spirit will spring up inside you. Rivers of life. And life abundantly. If you need healing, dive into the waters. For we know that everything lives where the river runs. And if you need victory, dive into the waters. If God is for us, who then can be against us. We are indeed more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
He’s calling us deeper. And we’ll never reach the end. And I don’t know about you, but I want all of Him. While you can’t have all of what’s infinite because infinity cannot be contained, by gosh by golly, I want all that I can get. What about you? Do you hear the Lord calling you deeper? Maybe even one cubit at a time. Deeper still into His infinite, immeasurable, and unending waters.
Charts for Deeper, Deeper Still are available at the People & Songs Store