Be a life-giving stream...

I want to encourage you that in all of your getting on today as it encourages in Proverbs 4:7, get understanding.....

Isaiah 58:11, it states "The LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not."

As I was reflecting this morning, I thought about the aqueduct system, one of the greatest discoveries and constructions of the Roman Empire. A system that provided hydration for distances very far away and a totally genius method which made use of gravity, as I have reviewed with my kids on numerous home history lessons, with stone arches to support the water channels.  One particular aqueduct which was built in 109 AD actually carried water to the city of Segovia for eighteen hundred years. For nearly sixty generations this aqueduct provided cool water from the mountains above. But more recently, it had collapsed.

Consequently, it is why it is equally amazing that though it took great brain-power to develop such a powerful tool, it could just as quickly have great demise as it did through a well-intentioned citizen.  It is noted that this citizen observing the ancient structure, remarked, “This aqueduct is so great a marvel that it ought to be preserved for our children, as a museum piece. We shall relieve it of its centuries-long labor.”  So the city decided to construct a modern water system with iron pipes to carry the water, intending to give the aqueduct a long-deserved rest.

What they failed to realize, of course, was their attempt to preserve the aqueduct by stopping the flow of water through it, assured its rapid disintegration! As the sun beat down on the drying mortar and stone, the centuries old structure quickly began to fall apart. Amazingly, nearly 2000 years of service would not accomplish the destructive work of less than 100 years of idleness!

This thought really encouraged me in the realm of how we should view Kingdom work…As we continue to allow Jesus' living water to flow through us (through serving, and actively being a vessel for His Kingdom), we are constantly renewed and preserved.  When we are not active in Him praying, giving, serving, being a witness we often can fall into a position of drying up with idleness and atrophy- a wasting away.…

With so much work to be done, I am also reminded of Luke 10:2 that states, “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few”.  That is why I truly believe that Jesus offered “living water” that would never run dry (in John 4:10, 14) because of the active, vital necessity that we not only have of needing Him daily, but our our lives to ACTIVELY speak of Him daily- loving, accepting, and forgiving others.  We must always remember that we are called to continually become a life-giving stream: the ever-renewing vitality of Jesus’ living water! Not a well of stagnancy. I pray God's blessing on you, and I pray God's leading over you on today.

  

In His Service.

"Selah!" Pause and think about it!

SELAH! Jesus causes us, at our core, to yearn the greatest for His peace.

Over the years especially earlier on in my walk I have been amazed at how some individuals, could also have such an overwhelming sense of God's peace and presence while going through the most gut-wrenching events! Personally speaking, I have often taken note of my own disposition at many given moments. If I sense a break in having peace of mind, I try to look to see where it is coming from, then immediately release it back to God.

Likewise, there are often tares that may thrive in "the garden of our hearts." For example, tares of "worry, pride, selfishness, disbelief." However, God's light makes tares to dry up, while it also causes His peace to flourish.  Sometimes when struggling with seemingly distracting emotions over life experiences, such as remaining in a state of fear when I have no apparent reason to BE fearful, I have found it most effective to willingly go into a state of PRAISE and THANKSGIVING!

Praising God, no matter what, no matter why, really helps to change the 'landscape' of my mind and to make for a more constructive frame of mind!

Being consistent in our praise and thankfulness to God will determine how or if we are able to remove ourselves from a state of anxiety. It takes much more energy to worry than it does to be thankful.  As the word Selah in the Word of God means to "stop and listen". We must make a constant effort to stop and listen to our inner ear to the Lord, and not the internal conversations we create. I challenge you to “Selah” on today that God may speak to your heart in a special way!