“The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.”
A good friend once told me, “The grand canyon in all its majesty, was created by the simple unending flow of water.” When he spoke these words to me, “living water” was the first thought that came into my mind. “Follow the living water” is what I heard.
This thought, about water shaping the land and contouring the ground, makes me think how the living water that is within us, shapes us. The Holy Spirit shapes us, if we allow it. It makes our old self die and creates us new.
“ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
About a year ago, I was guided to living a spirit-led life. I had seen my old ways, and was getting a sense of how guilt and shame was holding me back. I was still not living fully into the person I was made to be, (whoever that person still is to be).
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
I started a journey in reading the bible in a year. I am almost done, but still have about a month to go. As I read, I know I need to go back and read, and read, and read, and dive into more of it along this journey. But reading as a whole, I feel like a bigger picture is being shown to my eyes. Longings are being comforted in one way or another by HIS words. I am refocusing my mind.
Although, many times I stumble and fall, and I let fear creep back in, but I know where I am to look to get back up. He is shaping me by His words. He is working on my character. He is guiding me and carrying me and picking me back up, and letting me start each day new, when I turn to Him.
He is doing that for you too. Each day, we start anew. Each day we have a choice, to allow the living water to shape us. To allow the Holy Spirit to be heard.
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
Each day we can have the opportunity to learn all that God has said to us. Will you allow it? Will you explore what is holding you back, fear, shame, guilt, anger, jealous, greed,....? Those things are not from above, that is not who He says you are.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Our journeys are not without struggles, but our struggles are not without HIM. You can go to Him at any point. He is always with you by the Spirit that lives in you. The living water can shape us, through the struggles, through the darkness we feel or experience, big or small challenges, because He made each of us unique.
Wherever you are in your journey, even if you are not yet on this path, you still have access. You still have the ability to learn, you still have the ability to choose the path. If you are on the journey, you still have the ability to go farther, because He is with you. Each day you can make this choice.
What questions come from His words? What words make you uncomfortable? How does your character need to be shaped? Will you choose to let Him shape you each day? Will you choose to get back up, get in, let it go, and continue on your journey for the bigger picture?
