"They feared the Lord, and served their own gods." 2 Kings 17:33
Do you remember the old swimmin' hole of your childhood days? What fun it was to splash about in the muddy pond. Now we have beautiful swimming pools like the one right outside the door of the motel where Mrs. DeHaan and I are spending the night. But little as the modern swimming pool resembles the old swimmin' "hole," I notice the people are still the same. There are sitters, dippers, waders, puddlers, and divers. What them! One of them just sits on the side looking on. Another has just dipped his toes in and "Brrrr," he cried out as he shivers, "Oh, it's so cold!" Another has gone in up to his ankles, and he also declares it is awfully chilly. But we see, another takes a header from the diving board and rises all in a glow; all his blood is circulating, and he cries, "Wonderful!" What a fine morning. The water is splendid!"
It is a picture of Christian in any church. There are the sitters - just getting a tan (they should be given a tanning). There are the splashers, the puddlers, and the divers. The divers are the "all-outers" for God. The others are "half-baked," half-hearted, half-surrendered Christians. Like the people in our text, they "feared the Lord - but served their own gods." One foot in the water - one on the ground; one foot in the world - one foot in the church. You, Christian people, who are paddling about in the shallow of religion, and just dipping your toes into it, you stand shivering in the cold air of the world which you are afraid to leave. Oh, that you would plunge into the river of life, how it would brace you; what tone it would give you! Be a Christian out-and-out. Give yourself wholly to Him who bought you with His blood, and you will find the "more abundant life!"
"Bread For Each Day"
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