Wednesday, August 08, 2007
The Great Deep
By Ramone - August 6, 2007
As I write this, it's actually September 12th. Up to now I haven't had a chance to write the story behind this picture, even though it's very simple. But today a brother on the "pursuers" yahoo group asked a question: "How are we as Christians like fish in an Aquarium?" I had to laugh! God is good! He is prophetic! So I wrote the following story of this picture for the brothers & sisters in that group:
In early May while searching for a mother's day present, I saw some traditional Japanese designs of fish, probably to be used as curtains in front of a fish restaurant. I was strangely moved by the style and design... fish speak of many things in Scripture. Jesus said He would make His disciples to become fishers of people. And the last time the disciples went fishing (John 21) they caught 153 fish -- if you take the letter value of each number, it reads "Sons of God". They caught the sons of God that God had brought to them! It was a picture of the harvest.
So I had a design for fish, but I didn't know what to draw. Finally one day several months later, I had the right colors with me (colored ink pens with Japanese calligraphy style brushes) and sat down to do it at a cafe. I thought of being a fish in the great big ocean of Father Daddy's love, and swimming around in that love deeper, and deeper!
And oh God, why am I crying now? You are good, You are awesome, and truly we are in the ocean of Your love! Help us see that we are in the ocean of Your love, and it is mighty all around us, and we are safe and secure here. Like these fish, help us to rest here and rejoice in being in Your ocean-love!
The words of their joy come from the hymn:
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o'er them from the throne!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
'Tis an ocean full of blessing, 'tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, 'tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!
"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:14-19)Blessings to you all!
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
Your justice like the great deep.
O Lord, You preserve both man and beast.
How priceless is Your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men
find refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
They feast on the abundance of Your house;
You give them drink from Your river of delights.
For with You is the fountain of life;
in Your light we see light.
(Psalm 36:5-9)
Swimming in the ocean of His love,
Your brother Ramone
