There's a small waterfall down the road from me that I pass by as I walk most every day. It isn't quite Angel Falls or Niagara Falls or even Desoto Falls (pictured), but I take what I can get living out in the Arizona desert. There simply is not much water to be seen, except the canals that flow at angles throughout the city. Water can very much have a calming, comforting effect. This is why people flock to the waterside, beaches or rivers or lakes, even pools, during getaways and vacation stays. Some folks are even blessed to have waterfront properties. Water also has the refreshment factor to it, on hot summer days. It can also have healing effects and bring healthiness to life.
Walking in the newness of life, which is walking in relationship with God by His grace, is actually made possible by His Living Water, a name given of Jesus in God's Word. When we think about how He saved us from sin by His death on the cross and rising again, we know about how we are healed by Him, refreshed by Him, find calming peace in Him, and complete satisfaction in Him.
"O, God, You are my God; I earnestly search for You. My soul thirsts for You; my whole body longs for You in this parched and weary land where there is no water."- Psalm 63:1
"You are the fountain of life, the light by which we see."- Psalm 36:9
He says that he will lead us beside still waters in Psalm 23. He lets us know that, though life can be grueling and incredibly hard sometimes, there is a place of peace, when we run to Him for help.
Speaking of the rest and peace His living water brings, Sheila Cragg writes, "The Lord Himself is inviting us to follow Him to a place of peaceful quietness for personal restoration, to find a place of solitude for spiritual recuperation. Come, sit at the place He's set for you. He longs to serve you, so let His healing Word quench your thirst; let His tender mercy refresh your starved soul; let His gracious love awaken your spiritual passion."
He also refreshes us. He gives us exactly what we need to keep going, keep fighting the good fight of faith, keep on keeping on in the heat of summer or the heat of battles of stressful jobs and stressful events of life.
He may also give us healing water, washing over us to help us in the adventure and sometime struggles if life. For me, when depression knocks on the door and sometimes rudely breaks it down, I am forever thankful to God for healing water in the form of cherished promises from His Word, faithful friends and family who encourage and comfort, and circumstances that point to God's sovereignty and goodness.
A prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the refreshments of crisp, cool water for my body and my soul. I love you , LORD, and grateful always for the chance to see the still waters you bring me to for restoration and reassurances. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
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