The River of the Water of Life

            In Ezekiel 47, we read about water flowing from the temple of God. “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)…” (Ezekiel 47:2 NIV).
           
         In Revelation, the water is called the river of the water of life. “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb…” (Revelation 22:1 NIV).

          And back in Ezekiel, it says that “where the river flows everything will live (Ezekiel 47:9 NIV). In John 7:38 (NOG), Jesus said, “As Scripture says, ‘Streams of living water will flow from deep within the person who believes in me.’”

            When Jesus talked to the woman at the well, in John 4:10 (VOICE), He said to her, “…You don’t know the gift of God or who is asking you for a drink of this water from Jacob’s well. Because if you did, you would have asked Him for something greater; and He would have given you the living water.”

            Jesus went on to say, “…’Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life’” (John 4:13-14 NLT).

            Jesus was waiting to give the Samaritan woman the same life-giving water which flows from the throne of God. All she had to do was ask.

            In the New Covenant, we as believers are the temple of God and His Holy Spirit indwells us. “Don’t you realise that you yourselves are the temple of God, and God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 Phillips). In Jeremiah 2:13 (MSG), God says to the Israelites, “My people have committed a compound sin: they’ve walked out on me, the fountain Of fresh flowing waters, and then dug cisterns— cisterns that leak, cisterns that are no better than sieves.”

          God, through His precious Holy Spirit is the Source of the river of the water of life. You may say, “I’m born again. I’ve been filled with the Holy Spirit but I don’t see any evidence of the river of life flowing from me – not even a trickle. When that happens, we may have a dam in the way, blocking the flow.

            What things can dam up the life-giving river? Here are a few:

1. Unforgiveness. “…but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:15 ESV). The Contemporary English Version of the Bible gives an interesting translation of Colossians 3:13: “Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you.”
2. Strife. “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (James 3:16 KJV). This verse says it all.
3. Not walking in love. Jesus Himself said, “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you” (John 5:12 NLT). Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, “…and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2 NIV). 

       
​         It’s important to remember that faith works by love. “For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love” (Galatians 5:6 AMPC). The message is clear- if we’re not walking in love, our faith isn’t working.

    4. Cares of this life. “…but the worries of the world, the deceitful glamor of wealth and all the other kinds of desires push in and choke the message; so that it produces nothing” (Mark 4:19 CJB).

   5. Deceitfulness and pleasures of this world. “Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him.  (1 John 2:16 MSG).  

     As we clear away the debris from our lives which stops God’s life giving water from flowing through us to others, we will have a continual supply for those who are thirsty. And the river will grow in depth from ankle to knee to waist deep, and then it will become a river, bringing life to those around us.