“They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.’” (John 4:42)

Living near to the ocean is a spectacular luxury. Never making the time to stroll on the sandy shore or wade within its waters seems like a dreadful waste. Yet many make that choice. They live a handful of yards away from a glorious place, admiring it from a distance but indifferent to its magnificence. Content to simply drive alongside the ocean as blue backdrop, they pass by without ever stopping to get out of the car, saunter across the sand, or dip a toe into the crystal-clear tide.

This disinterest parallels those satisfied to have the treasure of God’s Word at their fingertips, within their grasp, without so much as a drop of effort to get inside its depths. Unmoved by the brilliance and the power of the Word, they are perfectly content to let others dive in and retrieve truths on their behalf. They show up for Sunday sermons, online preachers, and regular rounds of Bible studies blissfully unaware that someone else has had the high and holy privilege of leaving footprints on warm swaths of sand, of wading waist-deep into brilliant blue tides, of plunging into the white-tipped waves of God’s incomparable Word.

Others attempt to explain what the refreshing water feels like as it rushes against the skin and coats it in a salty film. They listen to explanations of how dazzling the underwater reefs appear with their jagged corals and vibrant colored fish. But their choice eliminates the thrill of ever knowing what it actually feels like to float in the middle of a gigantic, salty pool under the canopy of a blue umbrella sky; to laugh as the ocean breeze brushes against their cheek; to witness the spectacular dance of the tide as it relentlessly throws its transparent shawl across the shell-fringed shore.

With the printed passages and plain promises spelled out in chapters and verses galore, the Savior of the World extends the grand opportunity for a two-way conversation with him. He has recorded his voice in writing for us to hear his loving heart at any time, to know his certain ways, to understand his faithful character, to learn his protective commands, to grasp his clear directions for the way ahead. He waits to reveal himself if we would only take the time to explore.

The ocean lies close at hand. Go ahead…step in…and be absolutely amazed. Realize there is water, water, everywhere and every drop a drink from the fountain with eternal life bubbling all the way through.

Elizabeth A. Mitchell