“But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10). A shallow understanding of the truths of the gospel can be a source of strength, comfort and guidance as we face common problems during ordinary times. But can we rely on a surface-level participation in the gospel when we are faced with uncommon problems during extreme times? A tree with shallow roots may do well enough during times of plentiful rain, but will wither and die during times of drought, or else be uprooted and tossed aside when storms with severe winds fall upon it. We must work with the Spirit to search the deep things of God so that we can extend our roots as far down as we can. If we are ever facing a crisis against which our understanding of God and His plan for us seems to be wholly lacking as a solution, is it more likely that God Himself has failed, or could it be that all of the living water available to our roots at their current level has dried up, and we must dig deeper to reach hidden fonts of truth and wisdom? Such deeper truths are available to us, if we will do the work necessary to reach them. There are heartbreaking tragedies that each of us will be called upon to endure that do not have simple answers. Nor would we want them to. For those of us gazing in horror at the smoking crater of our lives, the idea that some snap of the finger can make everything immediately and magically better would cheapen and minimize our loss in a way that would be almost as bad as the loss itself. We deserve better than some cookie cutter platitude. We need more than a one size fits all solution. But the beauty of Christ's Atonement is that there is a unique and deeply personal answer to our aching question. It will not come all at once and it will not come without an immense deal of effort on our part, but deep, deep down the Living Waters of Grace and Mercy are waiting for our searching roots to reach them so that we can drink deeply from the relief and peace and unspeakable joy that can be ours no matter how deeply we have been wounded. And apart from being filled once more with Christ's enabling power, extending our roots so deeply also means that we will be much more capable to stand firm and steadfast and immovable when the devil sends forth his mighty storms and his shafts in the whirlwind. I know that Christ's love for us runs deeper than any hurt we will ever endure, and the blessings that come from searching in the Spirit the deep things of God will make all that we have suffered work for our good in the end.
