I have shared this before, but I absolutely love moving water and always have. Babbling mountain streams flowing over rocks with the lush green foliage draped over the sides - richly nourished and completely healthy -- one of my favorites. I take pictures...they never are the same as being there and hearing and watching as the water turns white in places where it gets all stirred up because of the force of the flow...I don't have to unclog the dams in those streams because the force of the water just finds a different way around it.
The ocean waves breaking on the beach, water running to fill my bathtub with bubbles, the fountain in our neighborhood pond, a sprinkler watering the new grass seed... why do I love all of this? They all bring me a sense of peace...
In my last post I mentioned that making changes in my life, breaking chains/habits that have been there for years, can not be done on my own. I've been devouring books on healing, growing, breaking chains, etc. What has the Lord consistently had me take away?
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)These scriptures tell about how Jesus was going to give the Holy Spirit to believers. The Spirit lives inside of us and is our Helper. He is part of the Trinity, He is fully God. He LIVES IN US! The power of God is inside of us. When I can not do it - He can. Am I stepping aside and letting that living water flow from my innermost parts? Do I even remember most of the time that He lives in me?
I have been meditating on how often in the Bible, water - especially moving water - is used to describe things. As I close my eyes and look at the Spirit inside of me and focus on an actual flow coming out of my soul, my spirit, my heart, my belly (however you want to word it) it calms me. I allow that water to flow through my entire body, visualizing it getting in every crack, working it's way around any dams that may be there or busting right through them, filling the voids where I ache and long for something to make me feel significant, secure and satisfied. And after the healing water of the Spirit covers me completely, still flowing and moving, I visualize it coming out of my core and spilling over through my words and my actions -- things that will affect those around me. And when I am actually 'in the Spirit,' God can pour His healing water over those I interact with. I am at that point allowing the Spirit to use me as a vessel - I'm a living sacrifice. Not my will but His be done.
Now, this is easy if you sit down and think on it...but we are busy and we are pulled in twenty directions and we are irritated and rubbed the wrong way and we have the flesh fighting the Spirit...we want our own way. And honestly I'm not sure how often I've actually thought on the Spirit being in me and WHY He's in me in the past 18 years of being a Christian. The Living Water will flow through us when we are allowing it to, but when we are not - it stops. Maybe it gets through every now and then. Maybe. What does water that is left with no movement do? It grows stagnant, diseased, stinky, it attracts bugs...dams probably get stronger and stronger. You get the point.
This is what I want to be...productive for the Lord and intentionally being nourished by the flow of the Spirit EVEN WHEN my circumstances are not great:
They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:8)
Revelation 22 describes a piece of Heaven. "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city." (v1-2) I'm certain that you will find me on a bench listening to that sweet flow and soaking in the constant presence of the Lord. I hope you'll come sit with me for a bit. Image courtesy of alexisdc / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
