Flow Freely

A fond childhood memory is being with my grandfather (Pop) when he pulled his old green Plymouth off the road where a natural spring of water was pouring out from the side of a hill. I'd never seen such a thing! We both took a small sip of that cool fresh water. Perhaps you recall Jesus' intentional journey through Samaria when He encountered a woman at a local well; He then said to her, "Give Me a drink" (John 4:7). During their conversation, Jesus said to the woman: "Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14 ESV). How sad so often in our spiritual lives we experience times of spiritual dryness and stagnation. Be certain of this: the problem is never with The Source of that promised "spring of water." Later in John 7:38, Jesus said: "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." The calling for all those who have believed - the redeemed, born-again, saved - is to be like that fresh water stream pouring out of the hillside - ever flowing, refreshing to those whom God sends into our days. I propose we are not called to let the love of Christ just trickle but to gush-forth with vibrant energy and life generously supplied by The Source - as Jesus is at work within us. Many of us live in rural areas where the water must be pumped out of the ground (thank God for those pumps!) The "living water" given to those in Christ Jesus does not depend on a pump; rather, His flow in and through us will be unhindered, unobstructed - yes, Christ will ... flow freely.