The Living River

Every Tuesday morning our church has ladies prayer. Since most of our ladies work it ends up being my pastor's wife, her mother-in-law, and I. We have a couple ladies who come when they can but for the most part it's just The Three amigos. This has become one of my favorite times of the week. I feel like I have two mentors and my complete disposal. They have talked me through a few things and prayed with me. We have started working through the Psalms again before ladies prayer. When we read through this first song this first stuck out to me:

Psalm 1:3 KJV — And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

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I love the discussions we have after we read the verses because different verses will stick out to different ladies and tie with other verses. This one stuck out to me. Being planted by the River of living water. What a refreshing thing to have a direct source of water. My pastor's wife brought out the verse where Jesus tells us he is the source of living water.

John 7:37-39 KJV — In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

There is something soothing and refreshing about being by the water. One of my favorite things to do is walking on the beach. The flowing of the water restored something in me. After reading Psalms 1 with the ladies, I remembered one of my favorite passages, Ezekiel 47:1-12. I don't know why this passage has always resonate with me, but it frequently comes back to my mind. So much so that I have actually copied and pasted it into my notes app so I can look back at it when it comes to mind. I read the passage to the ladies and like scripture usually does something new stuck out to me. This passage relates a vision the prophet had of a river flowing from the house of God. Where this river flowed the land was healed. There were multitudes of fish and life grew at the rivers edge. Then there is this verse:

Ezekiel 47:11 KJV — But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.

I live in a part of Florida with just as much marsh land as beaches. The water there doesn't flow. Grass grows just as thick as the bugs. The smell can be unpleasant as well. 

With those visuals I looked back at this passage. Ezekiel talks about this wonderful flowing, healing river. There is just one little verse about where the river can't flow. The water is there but for whatever reason it can't flow. Where have I not let God move in my life? God can only bring healing and life to the areas I let Him move. I pray my spirit continually flows with His spirit. That I don't get stagnant in Him, causing stink instead of bringing healing and life. 

Ezekiel 47:9 KJV — And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.

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