4. THE WATERS OF LIFE 2

​THIS SERIES: LIVING IN THE OVERFLOW

​Jesus talked clearly about the Spirit whom those who believed in him were later to receive. (See last post). This word ‘receive’ in the Greek (lambano) also means ‘take hold of with the hand’. Our attitude in receiving then should be more than a passive ‘I’m here-if the Lord wants to give me anything, He’ll hit me with it’. Our response to the Holy Spirit should be similar to when we are given natural gifts: we take hold of what is being offered to us, and we express our thanks, and we anticipate the joy of using the new gift.

Often the Spirit will not manifest His presence in our lives until we choose to take God at His word, and start to thank Him for His gift. Thanksgiving leads to expectation—the active looking for the river’s flow.

And what are we looking for? Rivers of Life.

Rivers of joy and peace; rivers of creativity and celebration; rivers of wisdom and self-control…
                                                                                                         
In fact, whatever Jesus is, can flow out of us, as fountains of living water, because it is ‘Christ in us, the hope of glory’ [Colossians 1:27], who is doing His work in us.

​WATER OUT OF ROCK

​Just as the Lord caused water to flow from the rock in the dessert, when it was struck by Moses’ rod, [Exodus 17:1-7] in order to satisfy the Israelites’ thirst, so He has caused ‘living water’ to flow from  the ‘Rock of our Salvation’, Jesus, in order to satisfy our spiritual thirst [Psalm 91:1, 1 Corinthians 10:3].

We also read that the expected rivers of living water will flow from our innermost being. The word used here, is literally, ‘womb’—the place where the animal kingdom reproduces after its own kind. The rivers of life which flow from us are supposed to have a reproductive quality, they are not just for our own benefit, but for those around us.

‘Freely you have received; freely give,’ commanded Jesus [Matthew 10:8].
What do the people in your world need today?
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The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.
[Isaiah 41:17,18]

For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.
[Isaiah 44:3]
​

When Peter spoke to the lame man at the gates of the temple, paraphrased he said, ‘I don’t have any money, but what I do have, I give you…’ Then Peter healed him. A river of healing was flowing, from Jesus, through Peter, to the person in need.

‘Freely you have received; freely give,’ commanded Jesus
​[Matthew 10:8].
​

What do the people in your world need today?

THIS WEEK’S GRACE RHYTHM

Get very quiet inside, turn your focus on the Lord and listen…

​NEXT WEEK: LET THE RIVER FLOW
Want to live inside out? Want rivers of living water to flow? Three things about receiving… 

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

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[Photo credits:  Kevin Turcios (waterfall);  Devin Avery (water from the rock);  Hassan Ouajbir (man on phone)
​@ Unsplash, with thanks]