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"Jesus answered, ‘If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.'" (John 4:10 – The Message)
"Jesus said, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst – not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life." (John 4:14 – The Message)
Today I will live in the now! I will live in the now because I know that I have received living water – a river of life springing up from the root of Christ in me, and flowing out of my inner man, watering the desert of doubt, and causing it to bloom like a rose. Eternal life is my reality, and it causes me to be able to face all of the works of the spirit of death, and rebuke them with no fear or intimidation.
Today I will draw water out of the wells of salvation with joy. A broken spirit dries the bones, so I will pursue every outlet of joy that I can, giving no place to depression or sadness by my words, thoughts or actions. The joy of the Lord is my strength, and I make a decision to walk in Kingdom joy all day today, regardless of circumstances!
Today I will receive resuscitation, and be revived, refreshed and renewed by the rejuvenating properties and restorative realities of the rain and latter rain together! Every dry bone in the valley of my broken dreams will live again as the rain comes down from heaven and waters them, and does not return void or empty.
Today I will embrace the work of the Holy Spirit, so that out of my belly will flow living rivers of prayer and praise. I am in the river of God today – the supernatural place of life and healing provided by the Creator of every living thing – and miracles are flowing freely for me as the river runs rampant!
Today I will rejoice that God satisfies my mouth with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's. I am like a well-watered garden – a thriving, green olive tree in the house of God!
Today I will minister the good news – the washing of water by the word – to those who are discouraged and spiritually dried out from their bleak, arid and fruitless existence – those dwelling in a weary land where there is no water.
Today I will go with the flow! The Captain of my salvation is leading me today by signs and wonders – many infallible proofs – by confirmation to His word, and the reliability of His still, small voice. I will follow Him anywhere today, and today I will live in the now!
Father, let Your living water flow out of me today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
(from A Year In The Now by Bishop Jim Swilley)
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I hope you enjoyed that, feel free to comment on it, and let me know your thoughts.
I was also thinking the following this morning;
Let the river run...let Your Living Water fill us through and through!
Thoughts are; being baptized in fire (river of the Holy Spirit-dare I say "lake of fire?"), oh come on, just a thought-let's not get religious.
What about the Holy Spirit dove now in the FORM OF WATER. When Jesus was baptized it was a bodily form, lighting on his head...now the Spirit is in the FORM of Water...and as we are baptized He lights upon the head of our spirit as the dove of Living Water, in us...and people see the heavens opened!...and God declaring, "this is my beloved son/daughter in whom I am well pleased."
Your thoughts?
Another thought; fire and water, both the Holy Spirit. What an awesome place in us for that existence.
Thoughts of a blacksmith come to mind; the tool being worked is put in the fire, molded into the image the creator wants, then set (cooled off with water).
This is happening in all of us. How often do we feel "in the fire"...hammered, smacked and bent...but then the water comforts and cools us off. What a wonderful image we are being formed into!
I love you all, thanks for stopping by. God bless you with a great and productive day. You are forgiven, and you are loved! Don't forget to comment when you can., your words can bless others here, too.
A Personal Spiritual Reflection
ReplyDeletePsalms 1:3 KJV
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The question is am I connected? God desires for us, the tree, to be planted by the water of life. Jeremiah 17:13 says that The LORD [Jehovah who is YAHWEY] is the spring of living water. Just as Jesus says in John 15:5 NASB “he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.” We are totally unable to produce fruit by trying real hard to produce it. However, it is a natural process of a vine connected to a branch to produce fruit automatically without even trying. Likewise a tree planted by the waterside bears a bumper crop year after year. Not because it tries harder than the other trees, but rather because it is connected to a never-ending supply of nourishment.
Jeremiah 2:13 NIV says, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. “ This leads me to ask, do I trust in a pit that collects rainwater but cannot hold it? Have I built a religious experience in which to store truth, but it is a cistern that is worthless? I am thinking of a book my friend Sherry Willis recommended to me, “Christianish: What If We’re Not Really Following Jesus At All?” by Mark Steele. According to the author, symptoms of Christianish include: the right behaviour, but for the wrong reason; going through the motions, but not going through the change; and knowing Christ’s words, but not always applying His truth. I think theses are areas I need to focus on in order to vitalize my spiritual life.
But in a real world what are the practical steps I need to take in order to strengthen my spiritual life, and discover the source of living water and to forsake the broken cisterns. First, I need to accept that going to church, knowing the proper catch phrases, and even carrying a Bible isn't what makes me a Christian. I cannot be just going through the motions of what I believe I should do but rather allowing a true relationship with Christ to motivate me and change me. Second, I need to reconsider how I treat other Christians. Am I at times bashing people with the Gospel ("spitting Bible" instead of love). Do I try to make everyone bow to my spiritual rules and regulations and then in the process am I showing off and focusing on myself and what a great Christian I am rather than discipling people to Jesus and being attentive to the needs of others. Third, are there times when I need to learn how not to use Christianity to lecture or bully or berate non-Christians because of their sinful lifestyles. This kind of attitude portrays Christianity as judgmental, mean-spirited, spiteful and closed minded. In attacking societies behaviors am I depersonalizing individuals by stereotyping them to their actions rather than discovering who they are as unique individuals that Christ died for?
Having a real connection to Christ is the water of life that Jesus offered to the woman at the well. And as His disciples returned looking down their noses at this sinful Samaritan woman, Jesus was trying to teach them to stop drinking from their own broken cisterns.
Amen Dan! Thanks again for your writing and input...I'll try and respond more to it when I get back from Augusta tonight or perhaps tomorrow afternoon.
ReplyDeleteGoing to Augusta today with Natasha. She's doing some freelance makeup work with the cosmetic company Benefit, special event at the mall there. Please pray for safe travel for us, favor and blessings.
Also it is our 17th wedding anniversary today...we're planning on dining out after the event before coming home...thanks to you and anyone in agreement.
May the presence and fragrance of God inhabit this house today.
Congratulations on your 17th wedding anniversary! I hope you have a wonderful evening together. Our 17th is coming up in January. Looks like you and Natasha got married just a few months before Tamara and I got married.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dan...got back a little late but safe and ate at Macaroni Grill in Augusta before getting on the road...then we all had cookies and tea when we got back.
ReplyDeleteNatasha has been having a whole lot of pain today, just got through praying over here...very concerned, but I know God will bless and give direction.
That's pretty cool about your 17th anniversary coming up in January, thanks for sharing that.
Again, thanks for your spiritual insights here, with God's help I know more people will come and join in on the blog...I'm sure some are already reading.
My favourite image of “living water” is streams in the desert. (The verse is in Isaiah I think, but I can’t give you the reference right off the top of my head. I only know it because “Streams in the Desert” is a fantastic devotional that really paved the way for me to be born again as opposed to just being religious.)
ReplyDeleteSo much of my life seems a desert (yeah, I got issues), but just when I need it the most and usually when I least expect it, I experience one of those sudden “showers of blessing” that refreshes my thirsty soul and refocuses my attention on what is really important.
Hi Sheri, I looked up the scripture you quoted. Is it?
ReplyDeleteIsa 35:6-8 (NIV) Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. 7 The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. 8 And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness.
I hope you don’t mind me quoting you word for word about the “Christianish” book. Miss you and all the gang in our Sabbath school class and Wednesday night Bible Study!
Welcome to the blog Sharilyn, and thanks for your comment...amen. He truly is our refreshment when the heat of circumstances seem to dry us up...His spring of water is always there in us bubbling up.
ReplyDelete...and thanks Dan, again. A wonderful reminder of those places that were once haunted in me are now growing green, feet planted in the waters, and Christ my road.