J'aime vie...: February 2008

The River From the Temple

1 The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was flowing from the south side.

3 As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits [a] and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. 4 He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. 5 He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. 6 He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?"

Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. 8 He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, [b] where it enters the Sea. [c] When it empties into the Sea, [d] the water there becomes fresh. 9 Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. 10 Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Great Sea. [e] 11 But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. 12 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, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

God reminded me of this last night during caregroup...Actually, this has been something that has been like episode 1, episode 2 and now episode 3 from God.

Episode 1 was: I saw an image of a clay in God's hands...it was very soft and was very mouldable. But another clay that has been left for too long and was dry and hardened, was very hard to shape. In fact, impossible to shape. No matter how much water we try to apply onto the hardened clay, it remains hard because it is formed in its ways and can't go back. Beware if we allow our hearts to be hardened for too long...it will come a time when God may come in and want to shape you but it is difficult because it's been hardened for so long. So, remain soft before God. Remain in God who is the water of life...then the clay will remain soft and mouldable...always.

Episode 2: Last night, during worship, i saw a similar image...I saw the clear difference between soil that was next to the river and soil that was in the dessert. Clay is usually found in the riverbanks because they are soil that is constantly wet and so very very soft. But as you journey away from the river into land...where the dessert is, the soil is sand and the moment you pick it up, it crumbles in your hand. It is unformable and unmouldable. Whereas the soil on the riverbanks were soft, mouldable and RICH.

Episode 3: Reading this passage in Ezekiel 47...

Moments like this...you can't help but prick up your ears and listen...I realised in the last few years, I have slowly lost forgotten to how to abandon my life unto God...to FULLY rely on him. Lay my life down for Him and pray daily..."God, i place my life in your hands.." I might have said it, but i don't think I have prayed it from the depth of my heart. It's different when we say it and mean it. The joy that flows out...the peace from God. Some may say that is strange. But don't we lose our freedom when we COMMIT our lives wholly unto God. On the contrary, there is a complete freedom because you know that you are truly doing what you should be...and it's not a forced conviction...it's a conviction that comes out of the complete surrender to God. And then the joy in EVERYDAY life and every moment we go through is just a complete joy even when it gets difficult...even when bad things happen...even when we face challenges.

It boils down to one question..."Have we surrendered our lives to God?"

When God becomes the utter need of our life...the very source of our plans and decisions, we value every moment with Him so preciously that we want more time with Him...more "moments" with Him...more words of wisdom/knowledge from Him...more "presence" from Him...more annointing from Him...more of Him.

We would never dry up and the process to be filled and refreshed by God is a constant in our life.

When we are constantly filled by God, refreshed in God and have a genuinely soft heart before God, it's so easy for God to mould us and direct us. Obedience is not an issue...it's automatic and natural because we utterly TRUST in the direction God shows us and the things He leads us into. And NATURALLY, we will want what He wants and we will do what He wants us to do because we know our Father knows best. His commands, His yoke is not burdensome but light (Matthew 11:29-30) and easy.

What is a "yoke"? See Biblegateway search results. A "yoke" is the bar that is strapped onto an ox around the neck so that the ox can pull the thing that plows the land and prepares the ground for planting of seed and growing of crops. It is used in different context within the bible. Often, it is used to describe being enslaved by something...but it is also used to describe the "bonding relationship we have with God...the covenantal yoke." This yoke that talks of our bond with God is to come under the lordship and commands of God...Jeremiah 2, Jeremiah 5, Lam 3:27...it refers to that covenanting partnership with God. So, are we yoked with God or are we yoked with the world?

It's one of those hard to learn lessons that is nonetheless important for us to learn in our walk with God in life. I don't profess to understand it yet but i am taking my first step. Lord, I want to be yoked with you. I lay down my life once again at your feet. Direct me...I want to learn to COMPLETELY and utterly trust you. Help me to re-learn this important lesson in life, that I may know the fruit of peace and joy that comes with the complete surrender of my life to you, Lord.

Amen.

Link: Back to the Bible (Streams in the Dessert).

"Launch out into the deep" (Luke 5:4).

How deep He does not say. The depth into which we launch will depend upon how perfectly we have given up the shore, and the greatness of our need, and the apprehension of our possibilities. The fish were to be found in the deep, not in the shallow water.

So with us; our needs are to be met in the deep things of God. We are to launch out into the deep of God's Word, which the Spirit can open up to us in such crystal fathomless meaning that the same words we have accepted in times past will have an ocean meaning in them, which renders their first meaning to us very shallow.

Into the deep of the Atonement, until Christ's precious blood is so illuminated by the Spirit that it becomes an omnipotent balm, and food and medicine for the soul and body.

Into the deep of the Father's will, until we apprehend it in its infinite minuteness and goodness, and its far-sweeping provision and care for us.

Into the deep of the Holy Spirit, until He becomes a bright, dazzling, sweet, fathomless summer sea, in which we bathe and bask and breathe, and lose ourselves and our sorrows in the calmness and peace of His everlasting presence.

Into the deep of the Holy Spirit, until He becomes a bright, marvelous answer to prayer, the most careful and tender guidance, the most thoughtful anticipation of our needs, the most accurate and supernatural shaping of our events.

Into the deep of God's purposes and coming kingdom, until the Lord's coming and His millennial reign are opened up to us; and beyond these the bright entrancing ages on ages unfold themselves, until the mental eye is dazed with light, and the heart flutters with inexpressible anticipations of its joy with Jesus and the glory to be revealed.

Into all these things, Jesus bids us launch. He made us and He made the deep, and to its fathomless depths He has fitted our longings and capabilities. --Soul Food

"Its streams the whole creation reach,
So plenteous is the store;
Enough for all, enough for each;
Enough forevermore."

The deep waters of the Holy Spirit are always accessible, because they are always proceeding. Will you not this day claim afresh to be immersed and drenched in these waters of life? The waters in Ezekiel's vision first of all oozed from under the doors of the temple. Then the man with the measuring line measured and found the waters to the ankles. Still further measurement, and they were waters to the knees. Once again they were measured and the waters were to the loins. Then they became waters to swim in--a river that could not be passed over. (Read Ezekiel 47). How far have we advanced into this river of life? The Holy Spirit would have a complete self
effacement. Not merely ankle-deep, knee-deep, loin-deep, but self-deep.

We ourselves hidden out of sight and bathed in this life-giving stream. Let go the shore-lines and launch out into the deep. Never forget, the Man with the measuring line is with us today. --J.G.M.