Saved

I used to have this nightmare. A lot.

In this nightmare, I was in the ocean. It was night blacker than you can imagine. Huge dark clouds were everywhere and it was pouring. The ocean was dark and black. In this nightmare I was in the water. This was horrifying to me. You see, I have an unnatural fear of deep water. I get nervous just standing next to the shallow end of a pool. I could never jump straight into a pool because I would freak out and most likely drown before I remembered that I had taught myself to swim.

In this nightmare, I was in the water holding on to a rock that jutted up out of the see. The storm was horrible and huge waves would crash onto me. I would hold on tight to the rock and try my hardest not to be swept away by the waves. I could see an island nearby. I could tell that there were people on the island. I wanted desperately to let go and swim to the island, but couldn't. I was too afraid.

A few years ago, an evangelist came to the church I was attending at the time. He told of a vision that God had given him. It was a vision of a black ocean in a storm. The black ocean was the sea of sin and death. There was an island in his vision. On it were those who had been saved by giving their lives to Jesus. Some of them were sitting around fires, warming themselves. Some were just on the island doing their own thing. Others were jumping back into the ocean to pull others out. Some made boats and headed back into the storm to help others that were still in the ocean.

You see, this nightmare of mine was a vision also. It was a vision of where I was. I was in the sea of sin and death. The waves were trying to kill me. And the rock...that was Jesus. I know it now even though I didn't realize it in my dream. Jesus was always with me. Though I was afraid to let go and swim to the island, He remained with me. My Rock was always their even when I didn't deserve for Him to be with me. He always sought me out.

I've never had that dream again since I gave my life to Christ.

"I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
The pangs of death surrounded me,
and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears."

Psalm 18:1-6

This is one of my favorite Psalms. It reminds me of what God did to save me. He turned the earth upside down and emptied the ocean to deliver me from sin.

My prayer now is, even though I am afraid of the deep water, that I would do what I can to help those that are still out there in the black ocean.