Photo taken by the author
“’Doesn’t it seem to you,’ asked Madame Bovary, ‘that the mind moves more freely in the presence of that boundless expanse, that the sight of it elevates the soul and gives rise to thoughts of the infinite and the ideal?’”
– Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary
In Matthew 28:19 (ESV), commonly known as the Great Commission, Jesus tells his followers to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”
It was the song, “Oceans”, by Hillsong United, where I first felt the call to go on a mission’s trip in the summer of 2014.
From the time I first heard it played at my church, I knew I was to go with the NGO, HOPEthiopia.
These lyrics, in particular, were what stood out to me:
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever you would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Saviour (1)
It struck a chord within me and I thought I would expound on what these words mean to me:
“Spirit lead me“ – It all starts with the Holy Spirit. He is the one that leads us in the calling and purposes that are from God. Being the third member of the Godhead, He was the first one to have tugged my heart to go on this mission’s trip.
“Where my trust is without borders“ – Trust is a very important thing for all of us. It is a sensitive area, too, as we have all experienced our trust being broken by another person(s). But, when you can move to the place where you can trust your Creator with the delicate, fragile pieces of your heart, He will blow your mind with the places He will take you & the people you will meet. You will discover that the One person you can fully and completely trust will indeed show you that your trust (in Him) will be without borders, borderless that is, even amongst the raging ocean waves that seem to engulf you on all sides.
“Let me walk upon the waters“ – The Apostle Peter got to waterski without a boat, and we want to do the same. When you’re out on the water, outside of the boat, your perspective changes. It’s a whole new vantage point as you aren’t thinking about yourself or your comfort. Instead, you are taking a risk with your life – one with your eyes fixed on the One who’s called you to walk on water in the first place.
“Wherever you would call me“ – We all crave to be called to something noble and great. We want to go. To go somewhere big and to do something far greater than who we are, and something much grander than our present conditions, whatever they may be. We instinctively know there’s more. There has to be. And where shall we go? Wherever He would call us. He sets the course, and we follow in the wake. As you’ll discover, more often than not, it will be the very place where you most want to go.
“Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander“ – I want to go deeper, much deeper, in my life than where I’m at now, or where I have been in the past (no matter how deep those places were.) Whenever I travel to a new destination or go somewhere for the first time, my first inclination is to explore and to discover my new surroundings – all of it. I want to know what’s there. This is called wandering and it’s like this with God. He will guide you into places, people, and situations you had no idea even existed and you will just wander right into these ultra-cool, life-changing, kairos moments.
“And my faith will be made stronger“ – Faith is a difficult concept, idea, and doctrine for me to grasp and understand, much less to live out. We all know the definition of faith, as the writer of Hebrews pens in the eleventh chapter of the book. I want faith. Genuine faith. Sterling faith. The real kind. Faith that is rock-solid. Stronger than silver. I think this would help me greatly in my day-to-day life and the various encounters I face.
“In the presence of my Saviour“ – This stanza starts with the Holy Spirit and ends with Jesus. This is what it’s all about & who it’s all about. Our life (and anything in it that can be deemed good or worthwhile) starts with God and ends with God.
Notes:
(1) “Hillsong UNITED Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) Lyric Video,” last modified February 22, 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw.
Dwight Van Middlesworth 