river,living water,Ezekiel,temple,Holy Spirit,water baptism,Israel,Jordan,GodTracker,God-tracking
by Dudley Anderson GodTracker 626 05 May 2017 Dear God-tracker GOD-TRACKING IS WADING IN THE RIVER OF GOD
Karen and I had the pleasure of visiting Israel not too long ago. We had an amazing time, viewing all the famous biblical sites. However, I was also impacted by the sheer natural beauty of the region. On one occasion, we were near the source of the Jordan River in the north of the country. In the hot arid climate of the Middle East, this river is the very lifeline for two countries. We stood near an opening in the ground where beautiful clear cool water gushed out to start its 251km journey to the Dead Sea. Standing there reminded me of another biblical river, one without a name. God had just given the prophet Ezekiel a very detailed vision of his temple. Then, in his vision, God brought Ezekiel around to the front entrance of the temple where he saw water issuing out from below the threshold. It began shallow and flowed eastward. The angel of the Lord led Ezekiel into the river. As he stepped into the water, it took him to his ankle. The angle took him further in until the water was knee deep, waist deep and on until Ezekiel could no longer touch the bottom. He says, “It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.” The river continued to flow eastward until it reached the Dead Sea. But, unlike the Jordan River, where the River of God entered the sterile waters of the sea of salt, it transformed the dead waters into living waters. The Dead Sea came to life. The prophet then noticed that along the banks of the river grew fruit bearing trees: “Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” Ezekiel’s river had its source in the sanctuary of the temple; it began its journey from the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies contained symbols of God’s Word and Spirit and represented the merciful presence of God, that is, the atoning work of Christ. Wherever the river flowed it gave life. Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” He was talking about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Ezekiel’s river represents the life-giving flow of God’s Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit flows from the foot of the cross, bringing life wherever he goes. The source of the River of the Spirit is the cross of Jesus. Notice that Ezekiel did not remain at the source of his river but waded out into the glory of God, until he could no longer stand on his own two feet. God wants you to go-with-the-flow of his Spirit; he wants you to be filled with and overwhelmed – baptised – in the Holy Spirit. He is your source and your resource. He is your energy, your strength and your life. The word for you today is, step out into the River of God and allow it to knock you off your feet! God wants you to drink deeply of his presence so that out of your heart will flow rivers of living water. God-tracking is wading in the River of God Be filled with the Holy Spirit Dudley READ ALL ABOUT IT Don’t Give Up, Look Up! O Lord, may your living water flow into every nook of my being Pray If you prayed this prayer today, please let me know by email me at [email protected] This work is expanding under God's clear mandate! Make regular or a one-off contribution to this work by following the PayPal link at: What is GodTracker? GodTracker owes its origins to an international Christian radio programme produced by Dudley Anderson called, On Track. Although On Track went off-air in 2005, GodTracker has continued to help people track God's plans and purposes for their lives since July 2003. Listen to the 60 second GodTracker radio spots at… Recommend GodTracker to a friend. Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa Dudley Anderson began writing for radio in 1994. Dudley currently writes a weekly e-mail Christian motivational thought called GodTracker and has complied 2 devotional books based on GodTracker. More information at surereaity.net Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |
Thank you for sharing this information with the author, it is greatly appreciated so that they are able to follow their work.