“…where the river flows everything will live.” Ezekiel 47:9b
We all arrive the same way. Kicking and screaming, naked to the world and clueless to our new existence within it. Birth. Birth gives life, that Godly miracle that sees human reproduction give way to the miracle of a human body. Complex beyond understanding in its structure and operation, we are all walking miracles to behold. But as much as we all enjoy this form of life, why do you think some seem to have a better grasp of it? If life is merely physical, then why does the simple act of breathing seem to deeply nourish others in ways that seem radically different? You see, there is a physical life without doubt, you and I are living it in this moment. Our lungs are perpetually filled with the sweet oxygen we need and as result the human body functions. Food is taken in for energy and the body is fueled for action. Work is done, thoughts formulated, and yes, even emotions flow freely from that energized collection of bones, flesh, muscles, and synapses. But what about the life within the life. What about the part of that physical body that exists far beyond the realms of human definition? What about the true core of that body, the one element that will far outlast the mere physical collection of molecules and cells?
As we draw near to the conclusion of the prophetic book of Ezekiel, we find an interesting vision in chapter 47. Ezekiel, still being ushered by an angelic guide, is shown a river. The river originates within the Holy temple of God and then proceeds to flow outside of the temple walls. As it does, it starts at ankle deep depth, then progresses to knee deep, then waist deep, and then grows into a river so grand in its depth and width that we’re told it could not be crossed. And as this river of fresh water progresses along its route, it eventually flows into the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea as it exists today has a salt content of 34% compared to the Atlantic and Pacific’s scant 3.5%. As a result nothing can live in the Dead Sea, neither vegetation nor fish. Yet as the river of God flows into the Dead Sea, we see a miracle of life occur. The deadly salt concentration is diffused and negated and as a result we see life come forth. And in a passage reminiscent of my favorite in the Bible, Psalm 1, we see that life from death comes only from the water of the Lord. And as it does, the wellspring of Godly water will bring forth a life that surpasses the mere physical.
Are you living a life today that starts and stops at the physical? Are you merely walking the walk of life as a physical being? Are you simply fueling and satisfying a machine of flesh that seems to be an empty, hollow shell? Is your soul calling out for a deeper life that echoes from that emptiness far into the recesses of time and space? Folks, I have lived through those echoing calls and I can personally attest…there is something more. You see, we were created by God, for God…to know God. He didn’t simply create a world full of physical creatures to only abandon them. God exists, He is real, and you can know Him today in a deeply personal way. But in order to see His life within your life grown and nurtured, it must be watered. And for this type of growth, only the waters of Jesus will suffice.
As Jesus encounters a woman at a Samarian well in John chapter 4, He encounters a woman that is living an empty, hollow, physical life. She has lived through 5 broken marriages and is currently living with a man out of wedlock. As a result, she is suffering scorn from her peers and great internal shame for her past. But in this beautiful exchange, Jesus sees deeper within her being. He sees beyond her sin, beyond her shame, and beyond her physical needs. He sees the need she has for not just physical life, but spiritual life...abundant life. And sitting next to a well that was flush with worldly water, Jesus utters these words to her:
“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water (the water of the world) will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14 (parentheses mine)
Jesus Christ is the spring that turns the bitter waters sweet. Jesus is the water that allows the trees along the banks of His river to grow, flourish, and bear abundant fruit in their season. Jesus Christ is the sweet water that sees His trees not only produce consistent fruit, but feed and heal others from their branches. If today, you feel like anything but a flourishing tree that is healthy, abundant, and is freely feeding and healing others from your growth, you are desperately needing to take a long draw from the gentle stream of Jesus Christ. Honestly admit that there is an emptiness within your life that can only be filled by the spiritual satisfaction of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Admit that you have sinned and fallen short of the perfection God demands. And as you come to that place of honest confession, Jesus is awaiting you with open arms. Ask Him to forgive you of those sins and to wash you white as snow in his redemptive, sanctifying waters. And as result, you will now discover the sweetest taste the tongue will ever encounter…the water of Jesus Christ. Water that grants life within the life.
“Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.” Ezekiel 47:12
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3
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