My husband and I have a big dog that needs lots of exercise. We enjoy taking him for long walks at our local park. When it has recently rained, Icy (the dog) especially loves the park as there are a myriad of puddles to drink from. I am baffled at every walk when Icy makes a beeline for the smallest and muddiest puddle out there when there are big expanses of clear water that he prances right by without even a glance. I quip to my husband whenever we are waiting at the tiny mud puddle that Icy prefers his version of chocolate milk to water!
As is the case with many things I experience in my ordinary life, God always seems to have a lesson to teach. What kind of little mud puddles could we be drinking out of when big, bold, beautiful places of clear water are within reach?
Read these words in the Gospel of John, chapter 7, verses 37-39 NLT, “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, ‘If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.’ (When he said ‘living water,’ he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)”
In that passage, Jesus is referring back to a passage in Isaiah 55. As stated, Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit that was to come after His ascension into heaven. As believers, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Jesus did what He said He would do. Notice the wording of Jesus….He said, “rivers of living water will flow out from within.” There are several important things to notice in that short phrase. The first is that “river” is plural. There are many rivers of living water within us, i.e., there are many avenues, ways, giftings, speaking, that the Holy Spirit will move in the believer. Next, notice that the living water flows. It is not standing water but has movement, growth, and purpose. Finally, notice that the living water is moving out of us. That doesn’t mean that we are losing the Holy Spirit because remember, He is moving rivers in us that won’t dry up. He flows.
The take-away from Jesus’ words, Jesus’ promise? If you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is alive inside of you. He doesn’t flow from outside in but from inside out. Our journey with Him was never meant to be a stagnant little puddle of muddy water that we sip from to continue our existence. We were meant to live in the flow. The flow, all the life we could ever swallow, is the richest as we are getting ready to pour it out and give it away!
I urge you today, in this moment, to open up your life on full throttle and drink deeply from the flow of the rivers of Living Waters that course through you. Don’t stop there though! Receive life, strength, courage, and fulfillment from those Holy Waters, but don’t keep them dammed up inside of you. Let them flow out of you and wash over others who are parched, weak, and dirty.
I understand that some of you reading this may not think that the living waters that pour forth from your life have a lot of value. Don’t put the glory of God in the shadow of your own self- perceptions. Give Him what you have, let Him pour out of you and into the cups of others, and watch God do what He does best…..bring forth life where there was no life.