Thursday, February 22

Flow, Water, Flow

Narrative Lectionary Daily Devotions written by Daniel D. Maurer from Clergy Stuff.

In the ancient world, water was considered "living" if it flowed. Stagnant water, regardless of whether it harbored life, was seen as "dead."

It's interesting to me that flowing water could be viewed as living. But I suppose it makes sense: water that moves is water that is "alive."

We can take the metaphor one step further and apply it to our own lives. Faith that flows from us is alive; faith that stays inside, stagnates, and has no life. "Out of the believer's heart shall flow..."

Just as God has breathed in us the breath of life, so we too can drink deeply of from the rivers of living water. And in so doing, we can allow it to then flow through us. 

Narrative Lectionary Text: John 7:37-39

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.”  Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.