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The River of God 1

Ezekiel 47:1-12

“The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar…

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 salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live…

Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.” Ezekiel 47:1-12.

In Revelation 22:1-2 & 17, we also read about this river. Here, it describes Jesus as the source! Out of Him, seated on the throne, flows a life-giving river with fruit-bearing, healing trees on either side.

These verses in Ezekiel, along with others, such as Zechariah14:8: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem…”, were read aloud by the Priest during the yearly Feast of Tabernacles, as they remembered their wilderness journey and how God provided water for them out of the smitten rock. While all these promises of living water were wonderful, they were in reality, pointing to their promised, coming Messiah, and the river of His Spirit! As Jesus said:“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:38.

This is such a powerful picture to reflect on. In these verses, we see that everywhere the river flowed it brought life, healing, fruitfulness. We see that it flowed into the Dead Sea and brought it to life. That surely stirs up hope within us – there is nothing so dead, barren or impossible in our lives, families or society that God cannot radically change! This is living water, bringing life! And it is a river that has flowed down through history, manifesting itself in many places as a mighty reviving outpouring of the Holy Spirit! That’s what our land is in need of, in these days!

Thank You, Father, for this incredible image You have given us, of Your River of Life, flowing down through history. And thank You that it has flowed to me, bringing Your life and healing. May I be a conduit, to allow this River to flow through me, to the world around me. Amen

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