City in the Sea

The city of Atlantis was real. My forehead pressed against the thick glass window of the submarine, and I could only gape as the shining city came into view. The best we could have hoped to find was the crumbled ruins of a once great city, now resting at the bottom of the ocean. We never could have anticipated this. The city was fully intact, safely enclosed inside a clear dome that protected the buildings, vegetation, and people from the freezing water of the ocean’s depths. The captain of our sub made contact with the natives of Atlantis, and they welcomed us into their city through a special double-door chamber that drained all the water from around our vessel so we could breathe the sweet air inside the dome. The city was bright and colorful. Flowers grew along the bustling streets filled with people laughing and selling goods like fresh produce and clothing. Children chased each other through the crowd, not a care or concern on their faces for the darkness that lay just outside their city’s dome. The Atlantians threw a feast in our honor, and we took turns asking dozens of questions, them about the world on the surface and us about their life at the bottom of the ocean. “How is it possible?” our captain asked, gesturing to the city around us. “How can all of this exist in an environment as dark and cruel as the deep sea?” It was the question we had all been asking since laying eyes on the remarkable city. The queen of Atlantis smiled warmly and raised her arms, gesturing to the dome around us all. “I imagine the explanation is much the same as the explanation for how your submarine allows you to travel to such depths. Outside this dome, so deep in the sea, there are thousands of pounds of pressure. Outside the safety of our dome, or a vessel like yours, the water would crush us, killing us instantly. But this dome exerts a pressure equal; its materials are stronger even than the pressure that lies beyond it. And it is because of the pressure within,” she placed her hand on her heart, “that we are able to withstand the pressure without.” • Emily Tenter • If you’re a follower of Jesus, you have received the Holy Spirit, the One who gives us the power to withstand the pressures we face every day—loss, illness, decisions about the future, conflict with friends or family, etc. What pressures are you experiencing right now? • Sometimes, it feels like the problems of this broken world and the powers of evil will crush us, but Jesus is stronger than everything. Because Jesus beat death, sin, and evil through His own death and resurrection, nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). How might this truth give you hope? • Inside the dome, the city of Atlantis was bright and full of life. When we trust in Jesus, what does He fill us with? (Romans 15:13-15) • How does the Holy Spirit help us endure, even during difficult circumstances? (Colossians 1:9-14) • Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit guiding or encouraging you? As we learn to listen to the Holy Spirit, it’s important to remember that God does not contradict His written Word, the Bible. Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you discern what is from God and what is not? this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed 2 Corinthians 4:7-8 (NIV)