Digging Deeper

“Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being, and You teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” - Psalm 51:6

For hundreds of years, the deep, murky waters of Lake Okeechobee in the Florida Everglades protected the vast treasure of archaeological secrets that were hidden beneath its bottom. But the second-largest freshwater lake in the continental U.S., behind Lake Michigan, turned into an archaeological dream world in 2007 when a statewide drought caused the waters to reach historic lows. It was the first time in years that certain areas were exposed, which prompted archaeologists to scour the lake floor. This once-in-a-lifetime dig uncovered 17 sites holding thousands of pieces of Native American pottery and jewelry, five boats, and a large number of human bone fragments.

Just like Lake Okeechobee, there is more to you than meets the eye. God desires a deep, meaningful relationship with you…one that digs deep below the surface into the darkest and most valuable parts of who you are. He wants you to invite Him into the secret parts of yourself, the depths of your soul that are hidden from the eyes of man. It is in this place that true intimacy with Christ is found. His shed blood on the cross is strong enough to both cleanse and heal any sin or wound that might be hidden underneath the surface of who we are. When we open ourselves up to God in this way we will experience closeness with Christ unlike anything we have ever known. 

The 2007 drought in Florida uncovered more than just hidden archaeological treasures. The low water levels left a bathtub ring of toxic sludge that needed to be cleaned up. This gave water managers an opportunity to scoop out some of the muck and refresh the shoreline habitat. Two million cubic yards of sludge was hauled away – enough to fill nine football stadiums from the field to the nosebleed seats. 

The historic Florida drought uncovered both treasure and trash in Lake Okeechobee. The digging left it cleaner and better than it was before. The same is true when we dig deeper into our relationship with Jesus Christ. Both treasure and trash will be uncovered but one thing is certain…our hearts will be cleaner than ever before. 

Father, I want to go deeper with You. Show me today how to open my heart to You truthfully at the deepest level. In Jesus’ name, amen.