Learning Leads to Earning

Today passing by the millionth marquee around town, I noticed it said "learning leads to earning". As I began thinking on this, God began to unfold it more. This has been a time of LEARNING for many. Learning is uncomfortable in many ways because learning, by nature, is mastering something that was previously unknown or unfamiliar. In my quiet time with God this morning, He drew my mind back a few days to when I was swimming with my three year old. He had his life vest on, and I was teaching him how to stay flat to float on his back and keep his head above water. Then I would roll him over and teach him how to kick and use his arms to swim. He did this with happy confidence in shallow water, but when we moved deeper- even though nothing else changed (I was still right there, and he still had his life jacket on)- he became afraid. I tried to explain that if he did what I showed him in the shallows, it works the same way in the deep water...The he could not fail because he had his life jacket and I right there. I couldn't understand this until I felt God whisper "you do the same thing". When God takes us into deeper water...When we're learning something unfamiliar... We have the moments of fear. We would just feel safer if God took us to a less scary LOOKING place. But our faith is NOT our sight, and no matter the depth you are in, you cannot sink because God has you!!! Don't let your circumstances scare you. Don't disqualify yourself. Use what you've learned in your walk with Him so far and allow Him to teach you even more! These times of learning will lead to EARNING more spiritual riches. Not by merit, but by sticking through the process in FAITH. You will gain wisdom, greater authotity, and greater intimacy with God which is the greatest treasure of all. Just keep swimming!