In my last blog entitled, “Come to the Waters,” I shared some of my thoughts on the significance of water. I left off by saying that God beckons us to come and drink of the living waters he offers us. We crave water because we need it for our very existence. It is the thing that sustains us in a dry and weary land, both physically and spiritually.
One of my favorite passages concerning water is found in Ezekiel 47. I would encourage you to read it and see what the Lord would have to say to you. I make the claim that I am no theologian; however, the following is what the Lord has been saying to me.
Verse 9 states, “And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.”
These waters are first of all healing. Where the river FLOWS, there is life.
“But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt.” (Verse 11) However, there is death in the places where the water has become stagnant. There can be no life here because the swamps and marshes have been cut off from the life-giving source.
It is the same in our own lives. When we cut ourselves off from the life-giving source, we become stagnant and find ourselves spiritually dead. BUT, when the rivers of life are flowing through us, they bring healing. They bring life. They bring cleansing.
My favorite part of the story is found in verse 12. “Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
This is my heart’s cry; to be a tree used for food. I desire to bear fruit every month that will not fail. I desire to bear leaves to be used as medicine. I only risk withering when I cut myself off from the river of life; from Jesus himself. I can’t do it on my own! In fact, I have absolutely nothing to offer a dying world without him.
These past few days of debrief in Hong Kong have been so great as I have been able to sit and soak in the presence of the Lord. His love has been overwhelming me, and I cannot even put it into words. All I know is that his love is healing me. His love is making me whole, and it’s in the life-giving waters that I am finding rest for my spirit.
I have been realizing more and more all the time that I am so incredibly blessed to be here. I am so undeserving of the grace that God has offered me, and yet he’s offered it freely. I cannot wait to see what this next month has in store.
