Living Waters

Readings for today: Ezekiel 45-48

I love Ezekiel’s vision today. Water flowing from the Temple of God. Beginning as a trickle but becoming a mighty river, flowing southeast out of Jerusalem towards the Dead Sea. The region around the Sea is a wasteland. A desert. A void. A place where nothing grows. I’ve been there. It’s desolate. And yet, as the river reaches the sea, this amazing miracle takes place! Trees begin to grow on either side. Their fruit providing food and sustenance to all. Their leaves never wither or fade. The water itself teems with life. Fish of every kind find a home there. As the waters reach the Sea, they bring it from death to life. The saltwater turns fresh and it begins to produce a hundredfold. Yes, there are still reminders of the former days. Still reminders of the death that once reigned here. The marshes and swamps retain their salty character but those simply serve as witnesses to the miracle of resurrection that has taken place! 

For the Christian, we recognize the prophetic nature of Ezekiel’s vision. Many centuries later, the Apostle Peter will actually stand on the steps of the Temple and preach the gospel for the first time. The Holy Spirit moved powerfully through his words and 3000 gave their lives to Jesus Christ. Along the very stairs where Peter most likely preached are the ceremonial mikvehs where Jewish believers would wash before going into worship. You can see them today. The 3000 who were saved were probably baptized in those very waters! What began as a trickle soon became a mighty river as the Spirit moved in the hearts of those early believers. From 20,000 at the end of the 1st century to over 20 million some two hundred years later to over 3 billion today; the river of the gospel of Jesus Christ just gets deeper and wider as it flows! 

But even this is just a foretaste of what’s to come! In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John receives a vision that sounds eerily similar to what Ezekiel received. “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations…The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” (Revelation‬ ‭22:1-2, 17‬) Friends, God is still on the move! Even after all these centuries, the living waters are still flowing. Lives are still being changed by the gospel. God refuses to remain in His Temple. His grace moves out into the wastelands of our world. Into the darkest places where death reigns. And His grace brings life. Hope. Joy. Peace. Churches sprout up along its banks, bearing the fruit of the Spirit to sustain the nations. As they seek Christ themselves, they find their leaves never wither. The world itself is renewed. Restored. Redeemed. Where O Death is now thy sting? Where O Death is now thy victory? The Living Water that Christ offers us fills the void! It becomes a spring of water welling up continually in our souls. Healing our hurts. Easing our pain. Comforting our grief. Sustaining us until the day when Christ will come again to wipe away every tear and make all things new. 

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 1-3

God’s Provision

Readings for today: Psalms 65-67, 69-70

I have seen plenty and I have seen want in my life. I’ve had seasons where my bank account was full and times where it was empty. I’ve had years where I made plenty of money and was able to provide abundantly for my family and years where I’ve needed public assistance to feed them. I’ve seen both ends of the economic spectrum. I’ve moved up and down the levels of our economic system. Here’s what I’ve discovered to be true…God provides. He provides what we need in the time we need it. Maybe not more than we need but never less than what we need. Maybe not what we want or desire but enough for us to make it through another day.

Ancient Israel was an agrarian society. As such, they depended on the harvests each year to provide them with food. They worked hard. They were faithful to till the ground. Plant the fields. Do what they could to tear up the weeds or chase away the animals who might steal their crop. But as any farmer knows, there’s only so much one can do. Ultimately, there are so many things outside our control. The sun. The rain. The health of the soil. These things can only come from God. This is why David sings Psalm 65. It’s a song celebrating the bountiful harvest. It’s a song of praise to God the provider. It’s a song declaring the goodness of God the creator.

“All your salvation wonders are on display in your trophy room. Earth-Tamer, Ocean-Pourer, Mountain-Maker, Hill-Dresser, Muzzler of the sea storm and wave crash - of mobs in noisy riot - far and wide they’ll come to a stop, they’ll stare in awe, in wonder. Dawn and dusk take turns calling, “Come and worship.” (Psalm 65:5b-8 MSG)

“You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so. You drench the ploughed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges. You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops. You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy. The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys carpeted with grain. They all shout and sing for joy!” (Psalm 65:9-13 NLT)

“The river of God has plenty of water.” I love that line. I’ve experienced it in my own life. No matter how much I’ve struggled or how far I’ve fallen or how little I may have, God always provides. His river is always flowing, providing what I need. Sometimes it feels like a trickle but it gets me through. Sometimes it feels like a torrent and I am overwhelmed by its abundance. Most of the time, I find it to be a slow, meandering stream constantly refreshing my soul.

In John 4, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman. She lives on the edges of society. Marginalized due to life’s circumstances and her own sin. She is desperately thirsty so she comes to the well for water and there she meets Jesus. What does he offer her? Living water. Water from an endless supply. Water that never runs dry. “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 4:13-14 MSG) Friends, come to the waters Jesus offers and let Him provide for your thirsty soul.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Chronicles 20, Psalm 51

Living Water

Readings for today: Ezekiel 45-48, 2 Peter 3, 1 John 1

If you go to the 9/11 memorial today, you will see a memorial pool. Specifically designed by an architect who watched the second plane hit the South Tower from a rooftop on the Lower East Side, he found comfort in the days that followed by the waters of the Hudson River. He also found inspiration. Rejecting any notion of rebuilding on the smoldering ruins, he imagined a scene where a deep void was continually being filled by water. A powerful representation of grief and loss, the memorial pool is a perfect reflection of his vision. As each individual stream flows over the edge of the pool, they join together at the bottom to become one. Constantly emptying. Constantly refilling. Those who visit sense healing in those waters. Hope in those waters. Even while acknowledging the reality of the void. 

Ezekiel sees a similar vision. Water flowing from the Temple of God. It begins as a trickle but soon becomes a mighty river, flowing southeast out of Jerusalem towards the Dead Sea. The region around the Sea is a wasteland. A desert. A void. A place where nothing grows. And yet, as the river reaches the sea, this amazing miracle takes place! Trees begin to grow on either side. Their fruit providing food and sustenance to all. Their leaves never wither or fade. The water itself teems with life. Fish of every kind find a home there. As the waters reach the Sea, they bring it from death to life. The saltwater turns fresh and it begins to produce a hundredfold. Yes, there are still reminders of the former days. Still reminders of the death that once reigned here. The marshes and swamps retain their salty character but those simply serve as witnesses to the miracle of resurrection that has taken place! 

For the Christian, we recognize the prophetic nature of Ezekiel’s vision. Many centuries later, the Apostle Peter will actually stand on the steps of the Temple and preach the gospel for the first time. The Holy Spirit moved powerfully through his words and 3000 gave their lives to Jesus Christ. Along the very stairs where Peter most likely preached are the ceremonial mikvehs where Jewish believers would wash before going into worship. The 3000 who were saved were probably baptized in those very waters! What began as a trickle soon became a mighty river as the Spirit moved in the hearts of those early believers. From 20,000 at the end of the 1st century to over 20 million some two hundred years later to over 3 billion today; the Living Water just gets deeper and wider as it flows! 

God is still on the move, friends! Even after all these centuries, lives are still being changed by the gospel! It moves out into the wasteland of our world. Into the darkest places where death reigns. And it brings life. Hope. Joy. Peace. Churches sprout up along its banks, bearing the fruit of the Spirit to sustain the nations. As they seek Christ themselves, they find their leaves never wither. The world itself is renewed. Restored. Redeemed. Where O Death is now thy sting? Where O Death is now thy victory? The Living Water that Christ offers us fills the void! It becomes a spring of water welling up continually in our souls. Healing our hurts. Easing our pain. Comforting our grief. Sustaining us until the day when Christ will come again to wipe away every tear and make all things new. 

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 1-2, 1 John 2

Broken Wells

Readings for today: Jeremiah 1-2, 2 Thessalonians 2

For generations, my family owned land in western Nebraska. Farmers. Ranchers. Feedlot owners. We managed a fairly significant operation. Over time, the land has been broken up and parceled out. Each generation taking a piece. Children and grandchildren left home and didn’t return. The line of farmers has now died out though we still rent back what we do own to others who work the land in our place. A few years ago, I took my children back to see the land. Back to see the home where their grandparents and great-grandparents grew up. Back to see the cemetery where so much of their family is buried. It was a great trip. Filled with lots of stories. Lots of laughter. A reunion with cousins. A renewed sense of connection to a “place.”

One of the big things I talked to my children about was the availability of water. Access to water is everything in this part of the country. If you don’t have access, you are locked into a crop like dry-land wheat. The yield is poor. The value of the land plummets. It’s incredibly hard to make a living. If you do have access, you can grow crops like corn. The yield is high. The value of the land skyrockets. Making a good living becomes far more feasible. The same is true for the pasture. We have a well system that benefits the herds of cattle that graze there all summer long. Ease of access to water makes for a better beef product in the long-run. Thankfully, our wells go all the way down into the Ogallala Aquifer which is one of the largest in the world. It means we’ll have access to life-giving water decades to come.

One of the striking images from our reading today comes from Jeremiah 2:13, “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” Cisterns in the ancient world were holding tanks built at ground level or just below it to capture rain water. While important, they were highly dependent on consistent weather patterns. During seasons of drought, these cisterns ran dry. If they developed a leak, they became useless. In short, they were a poor substitute for a fountain or a natural spring. Human survival depends on having a reliable source for freshwater. Without this supply, humanity suffers and dies. Their crops wither and die. Their herds grow famished and die. I’ve seen the effects firsthand in southern Ethiopia where they have to depend on the annual rains for their water supply. I’ve also seen it firsthand on our own land when wells run dry or break down and water no longer is easily available.

God essentially tells Jeremiah that the same truth holds for the spiritual life. God is like the Ogallala Aquifer. He is a never-ending source of abundant, life-giving water that flows like a spring or fountain. He is more than enough to quench any thirst. More than enough to bring life to an otherwise arid land. More than enough to supply all their needs. Why then do God’s people feel the need to make their own cisterns? Why do they feel the need to provide for their own water supply? Why do they turn to other gods who cannot supply what they need? Cannot bring life to their land? Cannot quench their spiritual thirst?

We face those same questions today. What cisterns are we building as we seek to provide for ourselves? Is it our 401k? Our rainy day fund? Our operational reserve? What happens when our cistern springs a leak? The market crashes. A pandemic strikes. A lockdown ensues. What then? What other gods are we turning to? What priorities are we placing before our Lord and Savior? Is it youth sports? Business? Leisure activity? Sleeping in? When we feel depressed or anxious, what drug do we use to find peace? Is it alcohol? Marijuana? Opioids? When we feel isolated or lonely, to whom do we turn? Pornography? A casual hookup? Friends, we are as guilty as the people of Israel. We have placed our trust in our own strength, our own wisdom, our own power to get us out of the mess we find ourselves in. We place our trust in leaders who are unfaithful. We place our trust in markets that are unstable. We place our trust in a future that is uncertain. When will we learn? The only hope we have is that we belong - body and soul - to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ! He is the only Source of Living Water that will quench our soul’s thirst.

Readings for tomorrow: None