Rivers of Living Water

"If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me—as the Scripture has said—out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

(John 7:37-38)

I have always been mesmerized by rivers.

Rivers flow out from their source. 

One of my favorite rivers is the Henry's Fork of the Snake River. It literally flows out of the ground at Big Springs, Idaho. Water from Henry's Lake, along with snow melt, seeps into the volcanic caldera which lies underneath a huge portion of the eastern part of the state, and it gushes forth at Big Springs, immediately transformed into a full-fledged, living river. It is one of the clearest, most beautiful rivers you will find anywhere on earth.

Flowing rivers bring life.

Always moving, flowing outward, downward, watering crops, bringing much needed moisture to parched lowlands, cool drinking water to those who thirst, calling spawning fish home, providing refreshment—bringing much-needed life.

Lord, thank You for the life your living river brings.

The polar opposite of rivers are ponds. 

Ponds are self-contained—having no inflow or outflow. They slowly stagnate, surface thickening with parasitic insects, algae and pond scum. Robbed of oxygen, they slowly dry up, and eventually, they die.

Do you see any examples in these two metaphors with real life?

How about in your life?

Jesus said:

"If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, "out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive." (John 7:37-39)

I can see my own heart in both of the previous water examples.

Fortunately, I've had times where I remembered my Source and allowed His life-giving water to flow out of my heart, providing desperately needed mercy, encouragement and love to those around me.

Sadly, I've had far too many times when I was like a self-contained pond. Self-focused, stagnate, allowing no healthy inflow, and therefore, no life-giving outflow was coming out of my heart. The pond scum of self-absorption was choking the life out of me to where I was no good to anyone.

When we become inordinately self-focused, we are so blinded by self that that we cannot see others all around us who are in need of God's love and encouragement.

This kind of self-focus is self idolatry.

May God forgive me for all the times my heart was like a self-contained pond.

We have to choose to allow the river of the Spirit of God to flow into our hearts. And then we have to allow His living water to flow out onto others. Those living rivers were never meant to stay locked in a stagnate pond.

Is your heart flowing out like a river?

Or self-contained like a pond?

—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.