The Spirit of God hovered over the waters says the priestly writer of Genesis. Pastor Mark points out as God hovers over us, we are bound to His will to know Him who made us mostly bags of water. Scripture points out that deep calls unto deep - referring to the deep things of God crying out to the deep things of God already in us when He made us. And those other deep things we break that He re-creates. Some good R & B seems to have come out that place.
Solomon says God put eternity in our hearts, but it seems we sometimes get derailed and look at the local swimming pool for companionship or a decent lifeguard to come rescue us. When that doesn't work out, we seem to be drawn to bigger ponds and the ocean or other favorite waters where God called first to us. Orcas-like, we cry back a certain cry that seems only God can hear and answer. The sound of deep to deep sometimes seems like it is a cry of the mute to the Deaf. In that cry is a prayer, however. God often told his people Israel He covered them with His wings. Yahweh gives wings of eagle and the Spirit gives wings for the water.
I gave my own kids - when they were learning the ways of the water - their own inflatable wings I could strap to their backs so they would not drown. They could play in the water with me, one on one, lifted up. They didn't think they needed the wings, of course, but they wouldn't go very deep in the water. Jesus' friend Peter wanted to go deeper into the waters of faith when he wanted Jesus to give him a sign that Jesus was real in the water. Jesus invites him to be like him and walk on the water. Peter does walk on water, but then he loses eye contact with Jesus when he gets worried about the wind kicking up. Jesus extends his hand to Peter, chides him for not have an Orca-like faith, and they get into the boat together. When they get in the boat together, the wind dies down. Peter's problem wasn't that he couldn't walk on water. He did. For a little while. But the wind got in his eyes. Notice when Peter and Jesus together got in the boat, the wind died down.
It is easy to blame God over the waters when we cannot put him into the center of our lives, even when we are trying to have faith. When He invites us in by the power of His Spirit to come join him, we think He is asking us by our own power to overcome the laws of gravity. Really, He is asking us to fix our eyes on Him. He brings us to center. He gives us faith. He gives us even our own prayers to pray to Him.
He gives us our own floatie wings for the water: Another priest-like writer, the writer of Hebrews advises: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb. 12: 12.)
Getting centered in God, then, is a making the first choice: eye contact on the Teacher and LifeGuard, especially when we have stepped out in faith when we think we are drowning. When the winds' war distract us and we fear, Jesus hand is there: above us, extended, next to us, extended, beneath us, saving us. Peter, himself, wrote later, after Jesus's death, resurrection and ascension that water is a symbol of baptism because it saves us. He advises get in the water with Jesus "to be born again, not of perishable seed, but imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God." (I Pet. 2:23)
Prayer comes from the deep water. The psalmist indicates how to pray: Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands (Ps. 119: 73.) Jesus' deep answer is a command as well, "Come." Come to me all of you with trying to float with logs on your backs. I know the ways of the water.
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