You don’t realise how much you rely on water until you don’t have enough. Currently, where I live we have had less than 20mm (under and inch) of rain in nearly 7 months - basically we are in a mini drought. On top of that we have had weeks of 40C+ (105F) temperatures for several months straight. We already have water restrictions meaning you can’t water your lawns or gardens except on certain days and for specific durations. The dams in the hills are on average below 50% capacity, and we are relying on desalination plants and ground water to provide most of the city’s water. Farmers are struggling to feed and water their livestock, and keep their crops growing, and fields are turning into sand while grasses die.
While there is still water in our homes, one look out into nature and you can see that the Earth is dry, and longing for a real deep soaking rain.
Animals, plants and humans all need water to sustain physical life.
Our spiritual lives can be much the same….
(Artwork by Schism)
The Bible is very, very clear that Jesus is the source of ‘Living Water’. Jesus is our source of our spiritual and physical nourishment, not the things of this world.
John 7:38 “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
We need to drink water regularly throughout the day, and if we don’t we get dehydrated. And if we don’t drink for several days our body gets toxic and dies. We literally cannot live without water. The same is with our spiritual lives. If we do not regularly consume the 'Living Water’ then we shall end up in a dry, dehydrated spiritual state that can leave us spiritually dead if we do not seek out the source of our salvation.
In the Old Testament, the prophet Ezekiel had a vision of the future, of Jerusalem when Jesus had returned to rule the world and to be its High Priest - and also the source of life.
This account can be found in Ezekiel 47:1-12 - which says…
Verses 1-2: “The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.”
We know from the previous chapters that the man Ezekiel is referring to is an angelic being passing on a message from God (Yahweh) to Ezekiel.
The description of a river flowing out of the temple is beautiful because the source of that river is coming from the Holy of Holies - the site where the presence of the God used to reside.
It is not only proving that the coming messiah (Jesus) is the source of life, but that HE is also God (Yahweh).
Verses 3-5: “As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross.”
The one thing is that the size of this river is huge…like truly huge.
The angel takes Ezekiel 2km (1.3miles) out into the river and it was only then that it was too deep for him to walk.
The size shows the overwhelming provision, power, authority, grace, mercy, forgiveness and blessing that Jesus can bring to our lives.
There is no limit to what Jesus can do in our lives - none…like none. The only limits that Jesus has are the one’s we place on Him.
This is the abundant life that Jesus Himself talks about in John 10:10b “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Verses 6-10: “ He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. When I arrived there, I saw a great number trees on each side of the river. He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea.”
A river always has life along it, even if the riverbed is dry in summer - the reason is that the water is not only flowing on the surface but is flowing underground as well.
How much more-so with the ‘River of Life’?
There is life where there once was death and barrenness. The description of where the river flows takes it straight through the areas that God has cursed when HE destroyed Sodom and Gommorah (previous to that they were magnificently fertile regions, which is why Lot moved there).
So, now we have a place that has been cursed - much as our lives have been by the corrupting influence of sin. Yet, here too Jesus bring back a renewal of all that was once was dead.
Ephesians 2:1-10 "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
Not only is life restored to these areas, but it is life that reproduces.
We also see an echo of Jesus’ calling of the disciples who will become ‘Fishers of Men’ (Matthew 4:19). The life that Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit brings will produce a harvest, it will bring about a catch of souls that we would be surprised by. However, just like Ezekiel we need to be in the river - fully immersed within it to receive all that the living water provides to us. We cannot be miles away from the river and expect it to sustain us. We must draw near to it.
Verses 11-12: “But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”
It is interesting that a warning is inserted into these beautiful verses. It is a warning that those that become wish to remain away, separating themselves from the flow of the river will become stagnant. The water in swamps and marshes is not fit for drinking - in fact it can kill you because it is stagnant water where things have died and rotten. Death, both physical and spiritual are the only things that can be found away from the source of life - both mortal and immortal life.
Water brings fruitfulness. If you provide only a small amount of water then the fruit on the trees is going to be small and unsuitable to eat. However, if you provide an abundance of water, then the fruit you will harvest will be large and juicy - perfect for eating. Nor is it able to reproduce.
The spiritual realm is no different. If little is put into harvesting souls for the Kingdom of God, then the fruit that is produced will be anaemic - it will be fruit that does not grow, does not nourish others and cannot reproduce.
However, if we put down deep roots into the Holy Spirit, and in our connection with Jesus Christ then we will not only produce fruit that can reproduce, but fruit that can turn around and nourish others. The offshoot of that connection is that the body of Christ then can be an agent of healing within their communities. It also states that the trees (like the Church) will bear fruit regularly and continuously.
I pray that you step deeply into the living waters that are found in a close relationship with Jesus Christ. I pray that healing, nourishment and life are given to you in abundant measure as you draw close to HIM. May Jesus be the water that you crave each and every day.