You’re deep underwater and it's dark. Time is running out; you don’t have much air in your lungs. You throw a light beam from your flashlight at everything near and suddenly spot a metal cage with the door ajar. Your memory is jogged and you recall that you left the cage to try to locate a rare luminescent fish, but bumped your head on a rock. With your chest burning, you swim as fast as you can to the cage. You swim inside and shut the cage door. Seeing the oxygen tank in the corner, you quickly place the respirator in your mouth and take a breath.
The relief to breathe is comforting and even exhilarating.
You shine your light around again outside of the cage and see that dozens of glowing eyes are swimming around the cage. You narrowly missed the sharks encircling you. It’s a miracle that you survived.
Your thoughts start to race, but you remind yourself that it’s not helpful to get into a panic state. Stay level-headed. You begin to inventory the things that you have available to you. You have a light, a shark cage, an oxygen tank, and what else? Remembering something else, you shine your light on the bottom of the cage and spot a two-way radio. Looking to your left and your right, you remember that two other divers are down there with you. Instantly, you grab the radio and talk to the other divers. Two other voices come on the line and you’re relieved. You tell them what happened and they listen intensely and comment that they’re glad you’re alright. One of the divers suggests that you signal to head up and be finished with this dive. You agree and reach above you to find the lifeline. It’s there and you tug it three times. All three of you surface slowly as the cages wind in toward the boat. You’re safe and going home.
This is representative of how stressful and scary life can feel at times. There is always something scary out there, a shark, an octopus, an electric eel, anything. That’s part of life. But also part of life is remembering that we are not alone. What did the diver have to help them survive? They had a flashlight, a metal shark cage, an oxygen tank, a two-way radio and a lifeline
connected to the boat. We have those things. These things could represent aids in our walk with Jesus. The flashlight could be His word, without it the world is hard to see and navigate. The metal cage could represent salvation. We have safety in the Lord. The oxygen tank could represent the Holy Spirit Who breathes life into us and gives us the power to keep going. The two-way radio is the ability to talk to God at any time and anywhere. It could also represent the communication we have with fellow believers. The diver was not alone in their battle and they remembered that. Then, of course, we have a lifeline that takes us to be with God forever.
Take heart in these things! The sharks won't overtake you.
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