John 4:13-14
Jesus replied, “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.”
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I know that I’ve been talking for days now about the winter storm we’ve been having… but it’s a pretty big deal when your daytime high temperatures in central Arkansas for the first week of December are in the low to mid-twenties. It’s an even bigger deal when the night-time lows dip into the teens and single digits! So when I tell you it’s cold and icy here… baby, it’s cold and icy here!
A friend of ours posted a photo of her husband putting out water for the birds in their yard. Greg decided that our songbirds could probably use a drink as well… everything in sight is frozen solid as a rock! So he ventured out to the bird feeder and filled a 3-lb. plastic coffee can and a plastic lid from a large container with water. The birds flocked to these vessels and began to drink and splash. They were truly glad to have fresh water! Here’s the thing, though… that water froze pretty quickly. So Greg made more than one trip to the bird feeder yesterday to refresh the water supply for the birds.
Yes, we know that there are “heaters” you can purchase to keep the birds’ water from freezing. But we seldom have an outbreak of weather this cold for this long… and we have never gone so far as to purchase a “bird-bath heater”. If this weather trend continues into actual winter, we may have to re-think this! Meanwhile, our birds will have to make do with intermittent drinks as we manage to venture out into the cold and ice to replenish their supply.
Here’s the Good News… the “Living Water” of Jesus Christ never freezes or runs dry! We have ready access to an unending supply of His love, grace, mercy and forgiveness. Even better, through the Holy Spirit, we can experience a continual fountain that flows from our heart and bubbles out like a freshwater spring. We can actually have more than we ever need… enough to share with everyone we encounter! This is far better than having a heater for the bird bath! Nothing compares to the Living Water of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit!
What about you? Is your fountain flowing freely with the Living Water of Jesus? Or are you frozen… hard-hearted… or even altogether empty? The choice is totally yours. Jesus offers each of us hope, courage, confidence and joy through His Living Water. He gave His very life for ours so that we can spend Eternity with Him… and enjoy His blessings in the meantime. Are you living with hope and faith in His promises? Who supplies your “water” these days?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label Living Water. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Living Water. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for July 26, 2013
John 7:38
Have faith in me, and you will have life-giving water flowing from deep inside you, just as the Scriptures say.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
As I write this devotional, a gentle, steady rain is falling. This time last year, we would have given just about anything for a late-July shower. Two months of record-breaking heat and virtually no rainfall had led to a landscape that appeared to be - quite literally - scorched. We were mandated to conserve water, and of course, our entire state was under a “burn ban”. Still, destructive grass and forest fires were prevalent… and devastating to plant, animal and human life. In late August, my husband and I traveled to Texas, and as we drove through an area of south Arkansas that had actually received some life-sustaining rains, the contrast in the landscape and “greenery” was distinctive – and telling.
I read through entries in my prayer journal for the summer of 2012. In mid-June, I asked God to send rain. On July 1st, I wrote, “WE NEED RAIN!” On July 2nd, I thanked God for 1½ inches of precipitation – at least in our yard! By the middle of August, I was once again asking God to send more rain. And late in the month, He delivered once again. But the blistering heat quickly erased the benefits of these infrequent showers. The drought was so serious in our area that people gathered in at least one local church to hold a prayer meeting… to specifically ask for rain!
Quite literally, we depend upon water for our very existence… and our survival. So the image of our salvation in Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him as that of “life-giving water,” is one that we can readily understand. We need His “Living Water” for our souls. We need the “hydration” of the Holy Spirit to give us guidance, wisdom, confidence, courage… and peace. And on a rainy summer afternoon as we remember a not-so-distant time without any precipitation, we find tremendous comfort in every precious drop.
Do you experience the same solace with each drop of Christ’s Living Water? Does His love, grace, wisdom, forgiveness, comfort and encouragement soothe you like a cool drink of H2O? Do you call on the LORD to provide you with “rain” for your heart and soul… or are you lost in a spiritual drought? Have you thanked God for the “rain” He has brought about in your life… and do you appreciate how truly life-giving our salvation through Jesus Christ is? Do you trust Him… for anything and everything? Can you believe that He knows far better than we do what is best in every circumstance? Do you have faith in Him to bring the “rain” that is necessary… and to care for you even in the “arid” slumps?
Is Jesus’ “life-giving water” flowing from deep inside you? Don’t you need Him in your life? Isn’t today a great day to let the Water flow…to quench yourself from the inside out, once and for all? In the words of a familiar praise and worship song, “Let it rain! Let it rain! Open the floodgates of heaven… let it rain!”
©2013 Debbie Robus
Have faith in me, and you will have life-giving water flowing from deep inside you, just as the Scriptures say.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
As I write this devotional, a gentle, steady rain is falling. This time last year, we would have given just about anything for a late-July shower. Two months of record-breaking heat and virtually no rainfall had led to a landscape that appeared to be - quite literally - scorched. We were mandated to conserve water, and of course, our entire state was under a “burn ban”. Still, destructive grass and forest fires were prevalent… and devastating to plant, animal and human life. In late August, my husband and I traveled to Texas, and as we drove through an area of south Arkansas that had actually received some life-sustaining rains, the contrast in the landscape and “greenery” was distinctive – and telling.
I read through entries in my prayer journal for the summer of 2012. In mid-June, I asked God to send rain. On July 1st, I wrote, “WE NEED RAIN!” On July 2nd, I thanked God for 1½ inches of precipitation – at least in our yard! By the middle of August, I was once again asking God to send more rain. And late in the month, He delivered once again. But the blistering heat quickly erased the benefits of these infrequent showers. The drought was so serious in our area that people gathered in at least one local church to hold a prayer meeting… to specifically ask for rain!
Quite literally, we depend upon water for our very existence… and our survival. So the image of our salvation in Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him as that of “life-giving water,” is one that we can readily understand. We need His “Living Water” for our souls. We need the “hydration” of the Holy Spirit to give us guidance, wisdom, confidence, courage… and peace. And on a rainy summer afternoon as we remember a not-so-distant time without any precipitation, we find tremendous comfort in every precious drop.
Do you experience the same solace with each drop of Christ’s Living Water? Does His love, grace, wisdom, forgiveness, comfort and encouragement soothe you like a cool drink of H2O? Do you call on the LORD to provide you with “rain” for your heart and soul… or are you lost in a spiritual drought? Have you thanked God for the “rain” He has brought about in your life… and do you appreciate how truly life-giving our salvation through Jesus Christ is? Do you trust Him… for anything and everything? Can you believe that He knows far better than we do what is best in every circumstance? Do you have faith in Him to bring the “rain” that is necessary… and to care for you even in the “arid” slumps?
Is Jesus’ “life-giving water” flowing from deep inside you? Don’t you need Him in your life? Isn’t today a great day to let the Water flow…to quench yourself from the inside out, once and for all? In the words of a familiar praise and worship song, “Let it rain! Let it rain! Open the floodgates of heaven… let it rain!”
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for June 2, 2013
Romans 15:3-6
That’s exactly what Jesus did. He didn’t make it easy for himself by avoiding people’s troubles, but waded right in and helped out. “I took on the troubles of the troubled,” is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we’ll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
In her book, Just Give Me Jesus, Anne Graham Lotz recalls the story in John 4 of the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well in Sychar. Lotz explains that this woman practiced a different religion… she was someone with whom a Jew like Jesus would not normally interact. Think of the animosity – and distance – that often exists between Christians and Muslims, and you get the picture. Beyond that, this woman had lived a hard life… she was probably not all that popular, which might explain why she came to the well in the middle of the day instead of early morning with all of the other women. She had been married to five husbands and was currently living with a man to whom she was not married… and of course, Jesus knew this. Still, He spoke to her… asked her for water…and sat around waiting for her answer - and offering a few of His own.
Lotz concludes that this woman was searching for something. She had a “thirst” that she was unable to quench. Like many of us, she had tried to fill her emptiness with the things of the world… possessions, relationships, money, a job, “busyness,” and more. Still, she was troubled. She needed Jesus and the “Living Water” that only He could give. Jesus went out of his way to pass through a city where He was not all that welcome in order to sit by a well and visit with a woman with whom He should not have been visiting (according to most)… and He took on the troubles of this troubled Samaritan woman. He was patient with her… He offered kindness. He was steady and constant. And He invited her to drink from His Living Water and never be thirsty… or empty… again.
God is calling us 1) to drink the Living Water of Jesus Christ… to fill that emptiness we may have with Him, rather than the things of this world; and 2) to take on the troubles of the troubled - and offer them Jesus, as well. He is summoning us to offer steady, constant, warm kindness and patience to others… to lead by example and live by the Scriptures… to gently invite them to drink from the well that is like no other… a life in Christ that satisfies completely.
So many of us do not fully understand that to giving our heart to Jesus is only the first step in beginning a New Life in Christ. We must continually drink from His well… study the scriptures, truly converse and communicate with God, and fellowship with others. We must live by Jesus’ example and take on the troubles of the troubled. We must let them know that there is someone Who can quench their thirst and fill their emptiness. We can’t reach out to only one race… one denomination or religious faction… one socio-economic class…those with high moral standards or people with whom we seem to “click.” We must “sit at the well” and exercise patience and tolerance with all who approach. We must make sure that they see in us the very thing they are seeking… and that we show them how to acquire it for themselves.
So where does this leave us today? Are we ready and willing to wade into the deep, muddy waters of life? Are we equipped with our own solid relationship with Jesus…is He our constant and steady companion? Will we linger at the well and wait on those who need us, or are we too busy with our own agenda… and too good to be bothered by such “sinners?” Take a look in the mirror… you and I are the “Samaritan woman” just as much as the person depicted in John 4. Jesus waited for us and took on our troubles… and now it is our turn to share this GOOD NEWS with others. Will you “sit”… and “wait”… and offer others a drink of the life-changing “Living Water” of Jesus Christ? Are you a “member of the choir” or a sideline spectator in your faith? Isn’t it time you decided where you stand?
©2013 Debbie Robus
That’s exactly what Jesus did. He didn’t make it easy for himself by avoiding people’s troubles, but waded right in and helped out. “I took on the troubles of the troubled,” is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we’ll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
In her book, Just Give Me Jesus, Anne Graham Lotz recalls the story in John 4 of the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well in Sychar. Lotz explains that this woman practiced a different religion… she was someone with whom a Jew like Jesus would not normally interact. Think of the animosity – and distance – that often exists between Christians and Muslims, and you get the picture. Beyond that, this woman had lived a hard life… she was probably not all that popular, which might explain why she came to the well in the middle of the day instead of early morning with all of the other women. She had been married to five husbands and was currently living with a man to whom she was not married… and of course, Jesus knew this. Still, He spoke to her… asked her for water…and sat around waiting for her answer - and offering a few of His own.
Lotz concludes that this woman was searching for something. She had a “thirst” that she was unable to quench. Like many of us, she had tried to fill her emptiness with the things of the world… possessions, relationships, money, a job, “busyness,” and more. Still, she was troubled. She needed Jesus and the “Living Water” that only He could give. Jesus went out of his way to pass through a city where He was not all that welcome in order to sit by a well and visit with a woman with whom He should not have been visiting (according to most)… and He took on the troubles of this troubled Samaritan woman. He was patient with her… He offered kindness. He was steady and constant. And He invited her to drink from His Living Water and never be thirsty… or empty… again.
God is calling us 1) to drink the Living Water of Jesus Christ… to fill that emptiness we may have with Him, rather than the things of this world; and 2) to take on the troubles of the troubled - and offer them Jesus, as well. He is summoning us to offer steady, constant, warm kindness and patience to others… to lead by example and live by the Scriptures… to gently invite them to drink from the well that is like no other… a life in Christ that satisfies completely.
So many of us do not fully understand that to giving our heart to Jesus is only the first step in beginning a New Life in Christ. We must continually drink from His well… study the scriptures, truly converse and communicate with God, and fellowship with others. We must live by Jesus’ example and take on the troubles of the troubled. We must let them know that there is someone Who can quench their thirst and fill their emptiness. We can’t reach out to only one race… one denomination or religious faction… one socio-economic class…those with high moral standards or people with whom we seem to “click.” We must “sit at the well” and exercise patience and tolerance with all who approach. We must make sure that they see in us the very thing they are seeking… and that we show them how to acquire it for themselves.
So where does this leave us today? Are we ready and willing to wade into the deep, muddy waters of life? Are we equipped with our own solid relationship with Jesus…is He our constant and steady companion? Will we linger at the well and wait on those who need us, or are we too busy with our own agenda… and too good to be bothered by such “sinners?” Take a look in the mirror… you and I are the “Samaritan woman” just as much as the person depicted in John 4. Jesus waited for us and took on our troubles… and now it is our turn to share this GOOD NEWS with others. Will you “sit”… and “wait”… and offer others a drink of the life-changing “Living Water” of Jesus Christ? Are you a “member of the choir” or a sideline spectator in your faith? Isn’t it time you decided where you stand?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for December 8, 2011
Psalm 143:5-6
I remember to think about the many things you did in years gone by. Then I lift my hands in prayer, because my soul is a desert, thirsty for water from you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A friend and I were talking recently about tragic events that have occurred in our community. In the conversation, we mentioned some who were hurting emotionally – and others who had been through similar experiences. We noted how God could use those hurtful experiences for good. I shared with her my own experience as the “replacement” teacher for a young woman who had suffered a brain aneurysm and died. Many of the other teachers, including the woman’s best friend who taught next door, resented my presence. It took me years to realize that the anger and resentment was not personal… those who were hurting simply did not know where else to direct it other than toward me.
The very next year, the best-friend teacher was tragically killed in a car accident over the Thanksgiving break. Now there was a “replacement” teacher next door. And I found myself able to commiserate with her and offer encouragement. When she had an unpleasant or upsetting experience, she would come to me, and I would acknowledge her feelings and share how I had handled similar events. I remember the day she found the teacher’s coffee cup tucked away on a closet shelf… and I was able to say, “I found my teacher’s umbrella hanging on the closet doorknob. I understand.”
Through the years, I have gained a tremendous understanding of the many things God did in years gone by… and how they have provided both moments of great comfort and encouragement – and opportunities to bless others in His name. When I reflect on the many times that God has shown up in my life in ways I didn’t expect and couldn’t even imagine, I am truly overwhelmed. It is very much like water for the desert of a thirsty soul.
Wherever you find yourself today… in whatever circumstances you are experiencing… know that God can bless and comfort you. He can use these events – and you – to bless others in the future. He can nurture your heart and water your thirsty soul. Lift your hands and pray. Receive all that He wants to give you this day… and always.
©2011 Debbie Robus
I remember to think about the many things you did in years gone by. Then I lift my hands in prayer, because my soul is a desert, thirsty for water from you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A friend and I were talking recently about tragic events that have occurred in our community. In the conversation, we mentioned some who were hurting emotionally – and others who had been through similar experiences. We noted how God could use those hurtful experiences for good. I shared with her my own experience as the “replacement” teacher for a young woman who had suffered a brain aneurysm and died. Many of the other teachers, including the woman’s best friend who taught next door, resented my presence. It took me years to realize that the anger and resentment was not personal… those who were hurting simply did not know where else to direct it other than toward me.
The very next year, the best-friend teacher was tragically killed in a car accident over the Thanksgiving break. Now there was a “replacement” teacher next door. And I found myself able to commiserate with her and offer encouragement. When she had an unpleasant or upsetting experience, she would come to me, and I would acknowledge her feelings and share how I had handled similar events. I remember the day she found the teacher’s coffee cup tucked away on a closet shelf… and I was able to say, “I found my teacher’s umbrella hanging on the closet doorknob. I understand.”
Through the years, I have gained a tremendous understanding of the many things God did in years gone by… and how they have provided both moments of great comfort and encouragement – and opportunities to bless others in His name. When I reflect on the many times that God has shown up in my life in ways I didn’t expect and couldn’t even imagine, I am truly overwhelmed. It is very much like water for the desert of a thirsty soul.
Wherever you find yourself today… in whatever circumstances you are experiencing… know that God can bless and comfort you. He can use these events – and you – to bless others in the future. He can nurture your heart and water your thirsty soul. Lift your hands and pray. Receive all that He wants to give you this day… and always.
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 22, 2011
John 6:34-40
The people said, "Lord, give us this bread and don't ever stop!"
Jesus replied: I am the bread that gives life! No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who has faith in me will ever be thirsty. I have told you already that you have seen me and still do not have faith in me. Everything and everyone that the Father has given me will come to me, and I won't turn any of them away.
I didn't come from heaven to do what I want! I came to do what the Father wants me to do. He sent me, and he wants to make certain that none of the ones he has given me will be lost. Instead, he wants me to raise them to life on the last day. My Father wants everyone who sees the Son to have faith in him and to have eternal life. Then I will raise them to life on the last day.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A youth pastor friend of mine conducted an experiment recently. He asked all of the youth in his group to do without certain things each day for eight days, in order to get a feel for those who are less fortunate. Here was their schedule:
• Day one: No bed
• Day two: Eat rice only
• Day three: Beg for lunch
• Day four: No shower/hygiene products
• Day four part two: No relying on parents/No eating out (they must take care of themselves)
• Day five: No media (no cell phones, no radio, no computer, no TV)
• Day six: No cars (you can bum a ride with someone else, bike or walk, but no cars)
• Day seven: Wear the same clothes you wore yesterday
• Day eight: Fast all day
At best, this experiment was mildly uncomfortable for the participants… and maybe it opened a few eyes to the challenges that many face every day. We cannot fathom needing food and water. We do not understand the concept of needing water… we truly have plenty of food to eat and water to drink. It probably doesn’t occur to us often – if at all – that others clamor for even one cup of water, or a small bowl of mealy mush to eat each day.
The GOOD NEWS is that there is not a single person on the planet who cannot have plenty of the “Bread of Life” and “Living Water” offered by Jesus Christ. Whether lying on a bare church floor with no bedding…or on the hot dusty desert floor of Somalia… we can all be assured that Jesus will never turn us away. He loves all of us and cares deeply about us.
What we don’t grasp… and what eluded the people in this passage from John… is that physical needs and Spiritual needs are not the same. “Why,” we ask…”must people go hungry and thirsty? Why must there be poor and needy among us? Why do bad things happen to good people?” I don’t have the whole answer… and maybe we’re not supposed to understand this fully. But what I do know is that sometimes, through our physical needs and suffering, we are better able to see the Spiritual food and provisions that God offers us through Jesus. Let’s remember, Jesus suffered, too. He understood hunger, thirst, abuse, and murder… firsthand!
What I want you to take away from this message today is that God offers us “food and water” that defies physical man… the sustenance that permeates our soul and matters for all eternity. This life, no matter how many years we are granted, is truly only a blip on the screen. But life in the presence of Almighty God lasts forever. I want in on it… don’t you? And I want to take as many people with me as I possibly can! I am grateful that I will probably never know true physical hunger or thirst. But I am even more grateful that, by God’s grace, I won’t know these needs Spiritually. Can you say the same?
©2011 Debbie Robus
The people said, "Lord, give us this bread and don't ever stop!"
Jesus replied: I am the bread that gives life! No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who has faith in me will ever be thirsty. I have told you already that you have seen me and still do not have faith in me. Everything and everyone that the Father has given me will come to me, and I won't turn any of them away.
I didn't come from heaven to do what I want! I came to do what the Father wants me to do. He sent me, and he wants to make certain that none of the ones he has given me will be lost. Instead, he wants me to raise them to life on the last day. My Father wants everyone who sees the Son to have faith in him and to have eternal life. Then I will raise them to life on the last day.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A youth pastor friend of mine conducted an experiment recently. He asked all of the youth in his group to do without certain things each day for eight days, in order to get a feel for those who are less fortunate. Here was their schedule:
• Day one: No bed
• Day two: Eat rice only
• Day three: Beg for lunch
• Day four: No shower/hygiene products
• Day four part two: No relying on parents/No eating out (they must take care of themselves)
• Day five: No media (no cell phones, no radio, no computer, no TV)
• Day six: No cars (you can bum a ride with someone else, bike or walk, but no cars)
• Day seven: Wear the same clothes you wore yesterday
• Day eight: Fast all day
At best, this experiment was mildly uncomfortable for the participants… and maybe it opened a few eyes to the challenges that many face every day. We cannot fathom needing food and water. We do not understand the concept of needing water… we truly have plenty of food to eat and water to drink. It probably doesn’t occur to us often – if at all – that others clamor for even one cup of water, or a small bowl of mealy mush to eat each day.
The GOOD NEWS is that there is not a single person on the planet who cannot have plenty of the “Bread of Life” and “Living Water” offered by Jesus Christ. Whether lying on a bare church floor with no bedding…or on the hot dusty desert floor of Somalia… we can all be assured that Jesus will never turn us away. He loves all of us and cares deeply about us.
What we don’t grasp… and what eluded the people in this passage from John… is that physical needs and Spiritual needs are not the same. “Why,” we ask…”must people go hungry and thirsty? Why must there be poor and needy among us? Why do bad things happen to good people?” I don’t have the whole answer… and maybe we’re not supposed to understand this fully. But what I do know is that sometimes, through our physical needs and suffering, we are better able to see the Spiritual food and provisions that God offers us through Jesus. Let’s remember, Jesus suffered, too. He understood hunger, thirst, abuse, and murder… firsthand!
What I want you to take away from this message today is that God offers us “food and water” that defies physical man… the sustenance that permeates our soul and matters for all eternity. This life, no matter how many years we are granted, is truly only a blip on the screen. But life in the presence of Almighty God lasts forever. I want in on it… don’t you? And I want to take as many people with me as I possibly can! I am grateful that I will probably never know true physical hunger or thirst. But I am even more grateful that, by God’s grace, I won’t know these needs Spiritually. Can you say the same?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for October 31, 2010
Job 8:11-13
Papyrus reeds grow healthy only in a swamp, and if the water dries up, they die sooner than grass. Such is the hopeless future of all who turn from God.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you ever picked a flower or a leaf out in the yard, brought it inside, and forgotten about it for a few hours? Most likely when you found it again, it had withered, shriveled, and begun to dry up and die. Had you put the flower or leaf in water right away, it might still be beautiful and healthy … filled out and flourishing. And maybe, if you were fortunate, you could revive the withered flower or leaf by giving it a big dose of sustenance in the form of water – and possibly other plant nutrients.
It’s amazing how quickly we begin to wither, fade and falter when we step away from God’s Living Waters. When we turn our backs on Him and decide we know more about how to run our lives than He does, we start having problems very quickly. And pretty soon, we are like the flower and leaf – or the papyrus reeds in a swamp that has gone dry… we are weak and dried up - done in, hopeless and helpless.
The good news for us is that we can rejuvenate and restore ourselves by returning to right relationship with God. He stands ready to revive us with His Living Water… to give us His sustenance and nutrients in the form of His Holy Word. Communication with God through prayer, Bible study, and spending time with His disciples will soon have us nourished, healthy, and standing tall and sturdy in the winds of life.
Where are you these days? Are you withering like a flower or leaf left on the kitchen counter? Or are you thriving and healthy, enjoying the joys of a life that is filled with the light of our Heavenly Father? Are you serving the One who gives us daily sustenance that feeds our body and our soul? Or have you stepped out of the Water? The choice is ours… and the solution is an easy one. Where are you standing today?
©2010 Debbie Robus
Papyrus reeds grow healthy only in a swamp, and if the water dries up, they die sooner than grass. Such is the hopeless future of all who turn from God.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you ever picked a flower or a leaf out in the yard, brought it inside, and forgotten about it for a few hours? Most likely when you found it again, it had withered, shriveled, and begun to dry up and die. Had you put the flower or leaf in water right away, it might still be beautiful and healthy … filled out and flourishing. And maybe, if you were fortunate, you could revive the withered flower or leaf by giving it a big dose of sustenance in the form of water – and possibly other plant nutrients.
It’s amazing how quickly we begin to wither, fade and falter when we step away from God’s Living Waters. When we turn our backs on Him and decide we know more about how to run our lives than He does, we start having problems very quickly. And pretty soon, we are like the flower and leaf – or the papyrus reeds in a swamp that has gone dry… we are weak and dried up - done in, hopeless and helpless.
The good news for us is that we can rejuvenate and restore ourselves by returning to right relationship with God. He stands ready to revive us with His Living Water… to give us His sustenance and nutrients in the form of His Holy Word. Communication with God through prayer, Bible study, and spending time with His disciples will soon have us nourished, healthy, and standing tall and sturdy in the winds of life.
Where are you these days? Are you withering like a flower or leaf left on the kitchen counter? Or are you thriving and healthy, enjoying the joys of a life that is filled with the light of our Heavenly Father? Are you serving the One who gives us daily sustenance that feeds our body and our soul? Or have you stepped out of the Water? The choice is ours… and the solution is an easy one. Where are you standing today?
©2010 Debbie Robus
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