Devotionals for the Heart: Looking beneath the surface of everyday life

Beneath the Waters
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

—Colossians 3:2 NIV

Have you ever tried to imagine what’s beneath the surface of a body of water?

My son and I paddled our way across the lake, our small green canoe a speck in the misty waters. The sky was overcast, and a few spatters of rain hit the tops of my knees as we glided along. The rain felt good on my skin, relieving the humidity for a moment. My paddle slipped easily through the lake water, and we paused for a moment to get our bearings as we came to a fork. As we did, I marveled aloud about the beauty of our surroundings—the hint of fog, the cloudy sky, the faint glimmer of sunlight poking through here and there, even the patter of raindrops upon the water’s surface.

Below that water, we could only imagine what lay hidden. We had no idea how deep it was, or what fish swam below us. The water wasn’t particularly clear, and from our perspective only darkness loomed beneath the surface. For all we knew, a whole other world existed below our small canoe.

Of course, it’s that way with the spirit world, too. There’s a whole other realm of life that exists just beyond our own. There, in that heavenly realm, angels battle demons, good pitted against evil. And God prevails. Always. Even in times it seems otherwise, God is still in control, still in command.

Many of us paddle through our years on this planet only concerned about the life we live today, forgetting Scripture repeatedly urges us to remember there’s far more beyond our small sphere.

Jesus says in John 8:23, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world” (NIV). Jesus also said, in John 4:24, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Apostle Paul talks about it in Ephesians 6, as well—how we must understand the spirit world is every bit as real as the physical world. Indeed, Paul writes, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). But we can take heart, for God equips us with special armor to fight the forces of evil in that spiritual realm. We can trust the forces of God will overcome the forces of evil. And because he loves us, he equips us with what we need to get through this life.

The world we live in is only temporary. It’s beautiful and glorious, certainly, and God handcrafted it as he handcrafted each one of us. He loves us and he loves his creation. But he also has something else in store for us—a magnificent kingdom with rooms enough for all (John 14:2) and a table awaiting us (Luke 22:29-30). And we must understand that the things of this world, even things that seem terribly important, pale in comparison to God’s grand kingdom that awaits those of us who believe.

The things we go through in this world, the infirmities of our bodies, they’re temporary. All we go through on a daily basis—traffic woes and going to the grocery store and concerns about our work responsibilities—is merely a blip on the grand scale of eternity. The real world, the Forever, is beyond all that.

Sometimes we get a glimpse of this world beyond. Perhaps the Holy Spirit within us helps us recognize a shred of evil just ahead, or angels in our midst, forces at work we can only see with our spiritual vision … much like the waters my son and I paddled through on that lake. In our canoe, we only had an idea about what lay beneath the surface, beyond our perspective. Similarly, we also have only an idea—a faint understanding—of what remains before us on a spiritual level.

But it’s a deep truth and an important one, one we must force ourselves to remember when the concerns of day-to-day life threaten to take our focus off what really matters: the stuff of God, the stuff of eternity.

My friend Katy calls it the truth we know in our “knower”—that kernel of our soul that is fully in connection with the vast understanding the Holy Spirit brings.

This week, as we paddle through life, remember to keep your heart, mind, and soul focused on what lies ahead of us, what lies beneath the waters.

Just because we cannot see it doesn’t dilute its importance.

Let’s Pray: God, thank You for the great love You have for us and for this world. Help us remember this love of yours also makes a place available for us in the next world—a place in your heavenly home forever and ever. The eternal world is what truly matters. Help us to remember these timeless truths. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “I Have Fixed My Mind (On Another Time)” by Reggie Smith. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach and the recipient of the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for her novel, The Memory Garden. She is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism. 

Last year, she released an Advent devotional for those seeking true closeness with God, which you can find at https://www.jessicabrodie.com/advent. Learn more about Jessica’s fiction and read her faith blog at http://jessicabrodie.com. She has a weekly YouTube devotional and podcast. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and more. She’s also produced a free eBook, A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When You’re Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed.