“Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.” Ezekiel 47:5
Dear Ones:
As an essential part of the grand finale of the book of Revelation, we find written: “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Rev. 22:1) On the last day, “that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying: ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38) There is a consistent theme running through the Old Testament to the very end of the New Testament, and it deals with a river. In Psalm 65:9, we read: “Thou visitest the earth, and waterist it: Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is FULL of water.” This river is characterized by several things, but two are essential that we grasp. The first is that it is a river, whose essence has its origin and existence in God Himself by the Spirit. The river actually speaks of God, in its power and life-giving property. The second aspect of the river that we need to see is the abundance of it, its fullness. It is a fullness that is not only to be seen and believed by faith, but one which is to characterize the life of Christ by the Spirit in and through the life of the believer. As the believer abides in Christ, Christ abides in him. The call of God to every believer is to be FILLED with this river of life, and given to others. There should be, as the Apostle Paul put it: “…the demonstration of the Spirit and power” (1 Cor. 2:4), revealed in the life. The aroma of Christ, the manifestation of His life in and through the believer, is abundantly given by God. The testimony of this is the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, as mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. Here we see that every believer gathered together for prayer on that day, was filled with the Spirit. The river had not only been given by the coming of the Spirit, but the effects of that mighty river were manifested, in that all concerned began speaking of the wonderful works of God. Just as important was the manifestation of the life of Christ in the midst, which corresponded to the revelation of the Word of God in the Scriptures. But how is such abundance of life to be known, lived, and given to others? How can this river of living water, a river deep enough to swim in, and powerful enough to give life, be received, and manifested in and through the believer? How is the transformation into the image of God, of Christ, be effected by this fullness?
Throughout Scripture we find where the individual life is represented as a vessel, or potsherd. It has been designed by the Master Potter, and is intended for a glorious, eternal and specific use. We find that the vessel is the property of someone, whether of the Potter or someone else. In beginning to speak of fullness, the individual must belong to the Potter, by surrender and faith. In Francis Ridley Havergal’s great hymn, “I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,” she summarizes the path to fullness, beginning with the declared purpose of Christ’s work on Calvary, which is: “FULL SALVATION.” She then trusts the Lord for several specific things. The first is Pardon…trusting “thy grace and tender mercy, trusting NOW.” She then writes of Cleansing, “…in the crimson flood.” She goes on to Christ alone as our Guide, “…Thou alone shalt lead.” Knowing keenly her need for power, she writes: “I am trusting Thee for power, Thine can never fail.” And lastly, she is trusting the Lord for His unfailing grace: “I am trusting Thee for ever, and for all.”
Dear Father, Give us to grasp Thy great fullness, and to trust Thee for it today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad