Daily Devotional: 7/13/2018 - THE (LIVING) WATERS PT. 2.1

"Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said rivers of living water will flow from within them." John 7:38

We deal with chaotic waters every day (people, evil, and temptations). There is one thing that is able to defeat all. There is only one that can calm the sea and the tame the raging waters; he is God. He is the living water, the water we consume and will never go thirsty. I warn you now, but this is going to be a very scripture based devotional.

Isaiah 2:1-4 says, "This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last day the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many people will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.' The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for way anymore."

This furthermore expands the water metaphor with a river analogy. Isaiah talks about how a high mountain will be raised and all the nations will stream to it. God provides the river of life, and that river of life is Jesus. God sent Jesus to this earth and provided us with the perfect example.

Water was used as a metaphor for:

• Death and danger
• Safety and life

Joel 3:18 says, "In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine. And the hills will flow with milk; And all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the LORD's house and will water the valley of acacias."

Zechariah 14:6-9 says, "On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. It will be a unique day - a day know only to the LORD - with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light. On that day living water will flow out of Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter. The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name."

Milk and honey is a constant metaphor used as a metaphor for safety. The wine in the New Testament is a metaphor for the blood of Jesus, which is a sign of the covenant that he made with us. There is only one King, with the only name, and that is Jesus. He is the living water, the river of life. He will flow and give life to all of everyone that will drink it.

What is a better way of proving a point then just throwing Scripture? Open your heart and your mind, the first couple scriptures were just the introduction. Hold on and enjoy the ride.

John 4:13-15 says, "Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.' The woman said to him, 'Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.'"

This is from one of the first occurrences of Jesus saying who he was, but it would not be Jesus without him being a little difficult. Here he refers to himself as the living water. He talks about the water that if we had we would never go thirsty (Jesus). Here the woman shows great faith and asks for this water from the river himself. She asks for help, something that we should learn from:

• She asks that Jesus give her that water (Him) so that she does not have to come back to the river anymore to draw water (keep going back to the world and worldly desires to fill voids) - God fills those voids and desires with his love

Mark 4:35-41 says, "That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, 'Let us go over the other side.' Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, 'Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?' He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, 'Quiet! Be Still!' Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?' They were terrified and asked each other, 'Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!'"

This is the famous passage where Jesus calms the storm. The disciples were afraid of the storm and they were confused on why Jesus was not afraid either since he was just chilling and sleeping down in the stern like nothing was happening. They were confused on why he was not helping them on the deck with the waves crashing and getting at everything. Jesus again being Jesus get up and rebukes the storm and then rebukes the disciples for having little faith.

This is something that we should pay attention to. We if we are struggling or something is not going our way (which is represented by the storm) we panic and lose focus on the glory of God and focus on our's. 

• We have to focus on him for he will calm our storm, he does not want us to worry or to suffer

• "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33

John 7:38 says, "Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."

Sometimes we get the parable-speaking and hard to understand Jesus, and sometimes we get the blatant and in your face Jesus. This passage is the blatant and in your face Jesus. This is as simple as it gets, we have to believe in him and we will get the living water (him and his love). That is really all God wants from us, for us to believe in him and follow him. He wants us to put all his focus on him.

• We have to accept him into our life and live by his example

Lord, thank you for your grace and your mercy. Thank you for you providing us with the living eternal water of your love. I pray that you continue to guide and convict the hearts of everyone. This is only Part 1 of Part 2, I pray that you continue to guide the words to you. I pray that you give us the courage and wisdom to drink from your river. I pray all this in your son's name, Amen.

#LetsBeAMovement