At first, it’s just an idle thought, but as you think about it there comes an expansion of that thought. That happened to me the other day as I was working on a video for Uganda in our study of the Book of John. In particular I was reflecting on something the Lord said on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles:
John 7:37-38 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” ESV
That got me to thinking about a river here in Colorado that begins as a little stream and continues to grow as it flows downhill. At the end of the day the source of that river never knows where it’s going or where it will end up. And along the way it touches places that the source will never know. As I began to think about that the Spirit put that picture in context with what Jesus said in these verses.
If we have received the Life of Jesus in the form of the Holy Spirit, out of us will flow the rivers of living water that bless many who are unknown to us. We have nothing to do with the out-flow. That is the work of God and He rarely lets us see how great a blessing we are to others. Just a word spoken that carries the heart of God becomes living water flowing out to unknown places to touch unknown people … unknown to us but known to the Lord. And it all goes back to the source … If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
As His bride we have we come to Him to drink living water from Him. But do we continue to drink from Him, to keep the living water flowing? If not, maybe we should consider something Jesus told us that challenges us to keep it flowing:
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life … “ESV
If Jesus is The Way – Abide in Him … If He is The Truth – Believe in Him … If He is The Life – Live in Him. Abide, Believe, and Live is what continues the source of the Living Water to continue to outflow from us to places and people unknown. Can you imagine arriving in heaven to meet those that Living Water flowing out of your heart has touched?