Living Water

Before coming to Leader, I never really had an appreciation for rain.  Sure, I lived in a region that regularly receives rain, I mean a ridiculous amount of rain.  We're talking somewhere around 170 days of the year where there is measurable precipitation to the tune of 60" (yes, 5 feet!).  When you are inundated by rain, you have a tendency to take it for granted and even complain about it.  But in a place like this where everything revolves around and is dependent on moisture we eagerly await and even long for the life giving rain.  

During this most recent rainfall, I could see people's expressions change.  Even though it was dark and gloomy outside, people were rejoicing in the water falling from heaven.  That got me thinking about our relationship with God.  In many places throughout Scripture, the Lord is referred to as life-giving water, most dramatically in John 7 where He invites, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."  Jesus is repeating the Father's invitation from Isaiah 55:1, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters."

In North America, we are surrounded by a plethora of options with which to encounter God.  There are too many Bible translations to count, churches on every street corner to meet every possible person (for better and worse), and 'spiritual gurus' permeating the media.  We are inundated with access to God.  And yet, it seems that we take God for granted more and more everyday.  

God invites us to come.  To come to Him and drink.  To come to him and receive the Spirit which is the streams that flow out from us.  The invitation is there, we are inundated by it.  Let's not take it for granted; instead, let's celebrate each time the Spirit fills us as we are drawn back to the life-giving relationship with Jesus our Lord.  

Image: Public Domain. http://pixabay.com/en/rain-raindrops-window-glass-72914/