God’s Unfathomable Grace
The deepest deep and the lowest low on the planet Earth is the Mariana Trench found in the Western Pacific Ocean southwest of Guam. It’s nearly seven miles deep, and it spans 43 miles. Scientists once said it’s depths were unfathomable, and due to the immense pressure of water, no life could exist at that depth. They deemed it a dark, desolate place. I find it interesting that such a place would bear the name Mariana, meaning ‘bitter.’
But man….
Unwilling to think anything unfathomable, three nations joined forces and created bathyscaphe Trieste, a uniquely designed submarine type vehicle and manned it with two brave (crazy??) men. On January 23, 1960, they reached the deepest deep and the lowest low on the Earth, and to their amazement– it was light and clear, AND they observed life! A flat fish, sea cucumbers, and shrimp! There have since been three other trips to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, two unmanned with only cameras, and one other manned with a film crew. Each came back with evidence of more and more life forms. No matter the depths, there is life because of the unfathomable grace of God. We can’t surpass Him.
Do you ever feel like you are in your own Mariana Trench? A dark, lifeless place of bitterness, despair, and desolation so deep that you feel the presence of God cannot be fathomed?
But God….
Gaze up at God, His grace is sufficient for you, His power is made perfect in our deepest deep our lowest low, and at our weakest point. The depth of God’s grace will ALWAYS surpass the depth of our weaknesses.
Let’s take a journey together in our own submersible vehicle, the ‘bathyscaphe Grace,’ and see what signs of life and unfathomable grace we can find in our deepest places of bitterness and despair.
God is all-wise, all-knowing, and all-loving care. He is the Lord, the Most High God, who reigns over all. He’s Abba Father when we need fathering. He is All-sufficient in our hardest situations and the Author of faith in our unbelief and doubt. He’s Broken and spilled out for us when we feel used. He’s our Sure Foundation when we’re shaking and insecure, and Fullness when we’re empty. He’s the God of love when we feel unloved and need a hug. He is God with us when we feel alone or abandoned, and He’s our Guide and the Way when we’re confused and need direction.
He is Healer for our woundedness, rejection, and physical sickness. He’s our Hope when we’re discouraged and want to quit, and our Joy when we’re depressed. He’s our Keeper and Protector when we’re vulnerable and the Lifter of our head when we’re feeling oppressed. He’s never failing when we’re faithless. He’s the Prince of Peace when we’re stressed, worried and confused, and our Provider for every need. He’s the Quieter of the storm for our struggles without and within, and our Rest when we’re tired and can’t go on. He’s the Restorer of our soul when we’re bruised and beaten down, our Reviver and Living Water when we’re depleted, barren and thirsty. He is our Song and our Praise when we’re joyless and heavy of heart, and Strong when we’re weak. He is Truth in spite of what the world says, and our Vindicator when we’re wronged. He’s the Way-maker when it seems impossible, and Wisdom for our hardest choices.
And we haven’t even yet begun to plumb the depths of God’s unfathomable grace. Don’t give up, look up. Like waves upon the sea, He comes to us…no matter the depth of despair… with grace upon grace for every need.
“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13
Powerful message, Marsha. I needed to read that today. I love what you said: “Don’t give up – look up”. Amen to that.
How easily we forget how Great and a grace giving Lord we belong to. Praise is the answer in all of our circumstances. We must rise above the circumstances and draw near to Him and not dispair. AMEN