Yesterday we measured the water. For many of us, the honest answer was ankles. Maybe knees.
Today we have to ask a harder question. Why?
If there's more of God available, and He's inviting us in, why do so many of us stay near the edge?
Because what keeps us shallow is rarely in our schedule. It's usually in our hearts.
Exodus 20 is one of the most dramatic scenes in the Bible. God has just rescued Israel from Egypt. He comes down on Mount Sinai with thunder, lightning, smoke, and the sound of a trumpet. He speaks the Ten Commandments out loud.
And the people's response is fascinating.
"You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die."
In other words, Moses, you go meet with God. Then come back and tell us what He said.
Then verse 21. "So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was."
Same God. Same mountain. Same invitation. Two very different distances.
The people chose a secondhand relationship. Moses chose a firsthand one.
And that's still the choice in front of us.
Let me be fair to Israel. Their fear made sense. God is holy, and they were not. A holy God is not someone you approach casually.
That's what makes the cross so stunning. When Jesus died, Matthew says, "the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."
That veil separated people from the Most Holy Place. Torn from top to bottom means God did it. He opened the way Himself.
Hebrews says we now have "boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus." Not just priests. Not just Moses. You.
So if the door is open, what keeps us standing afar off? Let me name a few roots. See which one fits.
Fear of losing control. In the deep end, God sets the pace. And if I get close to Him, He might ask me for something. My plans. My money. My comfort. My grudge. So I stay where my feet can touch.
Busyness. We're not against God. We're just full. The calendar is packed, the phone keeps buzzing, and depth requires the one thing we don't think we have. Time with no agenda.
But busyness is often a respectable way of saying something else matters more.
Past disappointment. Some of you went deep once. You prayed hard and believed big, and it didn't turn out the way you hoped. Someone died. Something broke. And quietly you decided not to get your hopes up with God again.
If that's you, I'm not going to rush past your pain. God doesn't either. But distance can't heal what only His presence can.
Preferring religion to relationship. This one is subtle. Religion lets us manage God. Show up, check the boxes, and keep Him at a respectable distance. Relationship asks for your heart.
Religion says, "Tell me what to do." Relationship says, "Let me know You."
Like Israel, we'd rather have someone else hear from God for us. A pastor. A podcast. A worship leader. We let them climb the mountain while we stay at the bottom and take notes.
I thank God for good teachers. But a sermon was never meant to replace your own time in His presence.
Secondhand faith will not hold you in a firsthand storm.
Here's the good news. God doesn't expose these roots to condemn you. He exposes them because He wants you closer.
Jeremiah said, "The heart is deceitful above all things." We don't always know why we keep our distance. But the Spirit does.
Paul says the Spirit "searches all things, yes, the deep things of God."
The same Spirit who searches the depths of God is willing to search the depths of you.
And He isn't looking for reasons to send you away. He's looking for whatever is keeping you from coming close.
Today's Challenge
Read Exodus 20:18-21 and Hebrews 10:19-22. Write the root that fits you most on a card, then pray about it out loud, starting with, "Lord, I think I stay shallow because..." Then choose one thing you usually reach for first in the morning, like the news, social media, or a podcast, and replace it tomorrow with ten minutes alone with God and your Bible.
Prayer
Father, thank You for tearing the veil and opening the way to Yourself. I confess I've stood afar off. Sometimes out of fear, sometimes out of busyness, sometimes because I got hurt. Search my heart and show me what keeps me at a distance. Heal what is wounded, and give me the courage to draw near like Moses did. In Jesus' name, amen.
Reflection
- Which root keeps me shallow most: fear of losing control, busyness, past disappointment, or preferring religion to relationship?
- Have I been letting someone else climb the mountain for me?
- What am I afraid God might ask of me if I got closer?