The Tide Pool

I remember visiting tide pools when I was young. These little nearly self-contained ecosystems were fascinating. They were on the edge of the ocean, but not in it. There weren't really any currents or major interactions between the tide pool and the sea. When tides rose, they'd get washed, but much of the time they were out of the water, their own little pool. There was all sorts of stuff in there. Small fish, sea anemones, sea slugs, crabs, various shellfish, clams, barnacles, starfish, sea urchins, mussels ... all sorts of stuff. I once saw a small octopus in one. Right there in their own little world.

I think we tend to think that we're in our own tide pool. We have our own "ecosystem," our own little worlds. We aren't pushed or pulled in any direction. We are free from the tides and the waves and we can just choose whatever we want to choose without being coerced or influenced. We're pretty much on our own here.

It's not true, you know. We aren't in a tide pool without currents or influences. We are actually in a river with nothing but currents. We live in a world that is hostile to God (Rom 8:7), blinded by the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4), walking "according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:2). All of our influences outside of Christ and His own are in that mode. "All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world" (1 John 2:16). Unfortunately, much of our internal influences are also in that direction. "I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members," Paul wrote (Rom 7:23). "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?" (Jer 17:9). We are facing massive forces within and without.

We get lulled into thinking we're in a tide pool kind of environment. We're free to go wherever we want. Maybe we'll choose good; maybe not. It's all up to us. Instead we are facing a world and our own sin nature all opposed to God. And we're told to stand against the flow. That's hardly possible if we're not aware of the rush against us. If we're not conscious of these forces within and without we'd never understand that we must "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom 12:2). Thanks be to God it is completely possible when we cooperate with Him. In this hostile environment within and without we can still be conquerors (Rom 8:37). The trick, of course, is to realize the battle we're in and to call upon the name of the Lord (Psa 18:3; Psa 50:15; Psa 145:18).