AtomLiving Water
“But those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” John 4:14-15
On our way back from the Academy of the Rockies in Colorado we drove across Western South Dakota and most of North Dakota…
On our way back from the Academy of the Rockies in Colorado we drove across Western South Dakota and most of North Dakota. To those who were troubled by my reference to some who say they prefer driving across the Dakotas at night, I offer my apologies. I for one have always enjoyed driving across the plains and seeing the rolling, undulating land – some giving rise to crops, other grazed by cattle and sheep. I am not among the some who prefer to drive it by night!
Anyway, on the way to my Aunt and Uncle’s ranch near Faith, SD for a cup of coffee (and some dinner) I noted that the land was as lovely as I have ever seen it. The crops were green and healthy, but more striking was the pasture land which predominates the west. It was tall and lush and the wild mustard made a beautiful yellow pattern on the hillsides near and far. The rivers were flowing, the stock dams were full, and the cattle were lounging belly deep in tall grass. It was obvious that there had been ample rainfall to this point in the growing year. How different than other years when the rains didn’t fall and the land lay dry and parched, the hay stunted and the cattle headed to sale barns for lack of feed. How different the land looked when there was plenty of water to refresh the land and its inhabitants! Those who live in dry lands know the value of rain and other sources of water!
Hence the words of Jesus in John’s gospel (see above). Jesus lived in a dry land and knew the value of water in bringing life to the land – and to people. But here he spoke of another kind of refreshment – the refreshment of His presence and His Spirit. Having just come from a time of spiritual refreshment with my colleagues at the Academy, I was particularly aware of how parched and dry I become when the living water of Jesus is not flowing in my life. Even though my work revolves around God’s word and the Spirit, I get busy with life and kids and taking care of my “things” and don’t draw the refreshing Spirit regularly for myself. Perhaps you also have a sense of how dry and disheartened you may become when the Spirit is not flowing in your life. Spiritual refreshment is as needy in our lives as liquid refreshment. The difference of course is that while the Western Dakotas have to wait for the atmospheric jet stream and the moisture from the Gulf and the all the other weather patterns to line up properly in order to get moisture, we do not. Jesus offers us spiritual refreshment regularly…even daily and hourly. And it is not random or hit and miss as the rains often are. Nor does it fall on us like rain while we are going about our other business. It is a stream flowing beneath the surface of life that God invites us to draw from. It is refreshing and life-giving, but only as we tap into it through worship and devotional reading and prayer.
So, if you are feeling itchy sense of dryness in your relationship with your God… if you have been away from worship and Bible reading for awhile and your spirit feels a bit like Western North Dakota during a drought, join us for worship…pick up your Bible and a devotional guide at the Church…go on a retreat with others from the church…or join a Bible study as we move into the Fall program year. And let God’s life giving Spirit “green up” your spirit and cause your life to bloom with promise.
Learning and growing with you,
Pastor Wade
Page 1 of 1 comment pages