Ezekiel 47:1-48:35, 29:17-30:19
2 Kings 25:27-30
Jeremiah 52:31-34
Ezekiel 47:8-9, “He said to me, ‘This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. 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 saltwater fresh; so, where the river flows everything will live.’”
Picture a vast desert. Imagine yourself standing under the heat of the blazing sun. Your tongue is parched as you take in the silence and notice hardly any signs of life — it’s scary to think about getting stranded there. Suddenly, you’re whisked away to a riverbank where birds are chirping, and squirrels are at play. Shaded trees stand tall at the edge of the water, and a light breeze cools your skin. Comparing these two scenes, one is a picture of death while the other teems with life.
In Ezekiel’s vision, he is shown a river flowing from the temple. The water starts out ankle-deep and eventually grows so deep that it’s impossible to cross. The river flows east through the desert and into the Dead Sea, where the high salt content makes it impossible for nature’s survival — except for the infiltration of the Living Water, the Holy Spirit. Everything that God’s Spirit touches bursts forth with growth and new life.
Within the new covenant through Christ, our bodies are temples. The Living Water dwells within us and pours forth to our lost and dying world. United as the church, the water deepens and brings death to life through God’s power — that which couldn’t survive except by His grace and belief in our Sovereign Savior can flourish both here and in eternity.
Your soul is a well for God’s Spirit that can bring healing to the lost and hurt. How much water are you producing? Is it pouring forth, or are you trying to contain it? Let God’s love flow through you to others — may the River’s raging rapids bring the dead to life through Christ!
Lord, Today I look to You for guidance. I pray for the following impossible situation_________, knowing I don’t have the answer. Bring life, miraculously, to this area where I see only a desert. Be glorified through me as I wait on and trust in You. Amen.