The Bible has many references to God’s river. The imagery of a river teaches us great lessons about the benefits of God’s living water in our lives. First of all, who or what is this stream?
God often describes Himself as the fountain of living water. To drink from this fountain is to quench our thirst from the source of divine love, out of which flows all His benefits to humans. God Himself is the only source of life. He created us, and He sustains us from the bounty of all that He is. To seek life from any other source will lead to death.
Psalms 36:7-9 NLT
[7] “How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. [8] You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. [9] For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.”
God had an issue with His people Israel, because they had dumped Him for sources that could never quench their thirst.
Jeremiah 2:11 NLT
[11] “Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols!…
[13] “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!”
God dwells in a city through which this river of living water runs, which sustains everything in its path. It flows from its source beneath God’s throne.
Psalms 46:4-5 NLT
[4]”A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. [5] God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it.”
Ezekiel saw this river…
Ezekiel 47:1-7 NLT
[1]” In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side. [2] The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the water flowing out through the south side of the east gateway. [3] Measuring as he went, he took me along the stream for 1,750 feet and then led me across. The water was up to my ankles. [4] He measured off another 1,750 feet and led me across again. This time the water was up to my knees. After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist. [5] Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to walk across. It was deep enough to swim in, but too deep to walk through. [6] He asked me, “Have you been watching, son of man?” Then he led me back along the riverbank. [7] When I returned, I was surprised by the sight of many trees growing on both sides of the river.”
From a trickle only ankle deep, the river gathered momentum until it became a stream too deep to wade. Fruit trees grew along its banks providing sustenance to all in its path.
John saw the same river in his vision of the New Jerusalem.
Revelation 22:1-2 NLT
[1] “Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. [2] It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.”
Who or what, then is this river?
Jesus answers the question for us.
John 7:37-39 NLT
[37]”On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! [38] Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” [39] (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)”
God promised to Israel, on the day when He would change their hearts, that He would also pour in and through them the source of all life, the river of His Holy Spirit,
Ezekiel 36:26-27 NLT
[26]”And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. [27] And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”
Time and again, He repeated His promise of the gift of His Holy Spirit to His people until the day of Prntecost came.
Acts of the Apostles 2:2-4 NLT
[2] “Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. [3] Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. [4] And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability…
[14] Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. [15] These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. [16] No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel: [17] ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. [18] In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy.”
So, to every believer God gives His Spirit to indwell us, the Spirit of Jesus to be our Companion and Helper, to provide the power to live the life Jesus gave us through His death.
1 Corinthians 12:13 NIV
[13]”For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
Perhaps one of the most beautiful stories in the New Testament is the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well outside Sychar. Tired as He was after walking in the blistering heat at midday, Jesus was not too tired to recognise this woman’s need.
How tenderly He directed her, step by step, to the source of the water that would quench her thirst forever. He recognised that, deep inside of her, was the yearning to be loved. Her liaisons with men were a glaring clue to her need.
Without a hint of condemnation, Jesus exposed her festering wound, revealed His knowledge of her sordid life, and diagnosed her emotional ill…she was drinking water from a polluted fountain. No religious “correctness”, worshiping God in the right place, would cure her illness.
Her joyful response was a clear indication that she got the message. Gone her shame, gone her polluted source, she gladly, and without embarrassment, shared her newfound faith with her fellow villagers.
There is a perennial fountain of God’s love flowing from His presence through the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5:5 NIV
[5] “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
All are invited to drink from this source, but only those who do will live in the abundance of that love.
Those who do, says God’s Word, will be like trees that keep growing and bearing the fruit of that love…
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
[22] “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Psalms 1:1-3 NIV
[1] “Blessed is the one… whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. [3] That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV
[7] “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. [8] They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
The invitation is given to anyone who is thirsty.
Revelation 22:17 NIV
[17] “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.'”
Paul said that to drink of the Spirit is to allow Him to control our lives.
Ephesians 5:18 NIV
[18]”Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,”
When we follow His leading, we are connected to the source of the love which satisfies our needs and out of which flows all the resources, we need to bear good fruit.