Jesus Pours Living Water Through Us – thoughts for Lovers of God

Do you keep a prayer journal? In some ways, mine is like a diary. I thought about that and looked up “diary” in the dictionary. Amazing. Look at this:

           From Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary:

DIARY

Function:noun
           Inflected Form:plural -ries
           Etymology:Latin diarium, from dies day — more at  DEITY
           Date:1581

           1 : a record of events, transactions, or observations kept daily or at frequent intervals: JOURNAL;  especially: a daily record of personal activities,  reflections, or feelings
           2 : a book intended or used for a diary

We are referred further to the word “deity” and here is that definition:

DEITY

Function:noun
Inflected Form:plural -ties
Etymology:Middle English deitee, from Anglo-French deit*, from Late Latin deitat-, deitas, from Latin deus god; akin to Old English T*w, god of war, Latin divus god, dies day, Greek dios heavenly, Sanskrit deva heavenly, god
Date:14th century

1 a : the rank or essential nature of a god  : DIVINITY  b capitalized   : GOD 1, SUPREME BEING
2 : a god or goddess  *the deities of ancient Greece*
3 : one exalted or revered as supremely good or powerful

A prayer journal is, therefore, a diary, and it keeps a record of what Deity is doing with me on a daily basis. I record my thoughts FROM Deity in this journal–and what I say to God. An amazing example of how wonderful this experience works is what happened just lately.

One morning as I was taking a shower, the thought occurred to me that when Jesus said: “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:38). I thought about what “living water” meant to the ancient Jews during Jesus’ day. Water in arid lands was scarce and so vital for their survival that they had to find ways to store it when it came. The people used the term “living” water when speaking about water that came from Heaven and was moving or rushing. Living water to them meant rainwater — what came down from heaven — and running water, as in moving and rushing down mountains and streams. The premise was that living water would be moving, clean and pure–on its way to give life. Well water or water in a cistern would not have been considered “living” water because it was not straight from heaven, or moving. It was at one time–but they had to store it. Therefore, it was stagnant and may not be as pure as it had been.

With those thoughts, I prayed: “Lord, make me a water pipe for your Living Water. I want to water the earth — make it green and full of your life — run your Living Water into me straight from heaven and out through me.”

Later that morning, while I sat with my prayer journal, God’s words came to me (into my thoughts): “Anything can happen at any time. You wonder about chance and how it seems to you the way the world, YOUR world works. What happens by chance and what is by Divine intention? It is both. For example, the person beside you on an airplane has the flu and you catch it. Or, your resume gets into the right hands at the right time–or doesn’t. Do things happen by chance? Yes and no. I am God and I have my ways to intervene, or to make happen. Chance and Divine intention work together for your good. You live in a fallen, sinful world–but I work within chance, the choices you make and others make that affect you. I inspire and direct you and others. Free will comes into play. But, you can trust Me even though the world operates so much in what feels to you like too much chance.”

Just then my phone rang. It was someone asking me if I had time for a phone interview later in the day. She had received my resume and I had a chance for a job I’d applied for. I was so excited. I asked her what the name of her company was so that I could look it up on the internet to prepare for our interview. She told me the name. When I looked up the company — you’ll never guess what they do! They make gigantic, city-serving sized WATER PIPES. I could “hear” the Lord’s laughter as He watched my reaction to this.

I’m telling you — keeping a prayer journal is an adventure with the Living God. Well, I didn’t get the job with the water pipe company. In fact, the next person who called me about my resume happened to be the owner of a company that made storage tanks and pipes for oil. Now, that takes all! Because we are told to keep our oil lamps filled and burning as we await the return of the Bridegroom. Hasn’t God often referred to the Holy Spirit as oil?

Next week I will be at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. I hope to find a place for the living water and holy oil God’s put into my life to pour out in the way of my new book entitled HIS KINGDOM COME about the birth of the Church in Jerusalem. God is good! God is my Provider. Let this be a little reminder about the pleasures that come when we take time to reflect and interact with God on a daily basis. The Holy Spirit is ours to commune with whenever we wish. What an amazing thing. Living Water straight from Heaven runs through waterpipes (us) and can water the whole earth. Keep your oil lamps filled and be God’s light to the world.