Longing to Go Deeper

Up and down our land groups are praying for their churches, cities and the nation. Knowing that we cannot fix anything, the heart cry is for God to pour out His Holy Spirit, to bring conviction of sin, transformation, renewal and a harvest for His kingdom. Intercession comes from a vision beyond ourselves. It gives us a vision of God’s heart, desire and purposes for our world, which often tends to leave Him on the side-lines. Without vision we can sometimes feel heavy hearted, but vision fills us with comfort and hope.

Ezekiel had a vision of hope. It was given to him when he was in exile in Babylon and the temple in Jerusalem had been devastated because of the people’s sin (Ezekiel Chapter 47:1-12). He was taken by an angelic guide to the entrance of the temple in Jerusalem, where he saw water coming from under the threshold. He then began a journey with the angelic guide, obediently following the water.

Initially he was led through water which was ankle deep. Next, he had to cross water which was knee deep and then waist deep. Up to this point he was able to walk across the water from one bank to the other. Eventually he came to a place where the shallow water coming from the threshold of the temple was a mighty river. To cross the river, he had to plunge himself into the water and swim to the other side, staying close to the angelic guide.

In his vision Ezekiel sees that wherever the river flows everything is transformed. Swarms of fish fill the Dead Sea and fruit trees of all kinds grow on both sides of the river as it flows through the barren desert. Their leaves will not wither. They are symbolic of healing  and their fruit will not fail. They will serve for food.

Ezekiel’s vision is pointing to Jesus in the words of our text for today. Jesus is the River of Living Water. Only He can satisfy our thirst and give us a vision for His Kingdom purposes in our troubled times. He is the One who fills us with the Holy Spirit, who changes our hearts, filling us with a longing for more of Jesus, to go deeper into Him, so that our lives can overflow and make a difference where we have been placed. The river is powerful. It is transforming, bringing life and joy

The question is how hungry are we for more? Is there a longing in our hearts to go deeper into Jesus, the River of Life? Are we content keeping our feet on the ground, or are we so desperate for more of the River of Life that we plunge ourselves into the water and go out of our depth, led by the Spirit of Jesus?

I think this old song is appropriate, ‘River, wash over me, cleanse me and make me new. Bathe me, refresh me, and fill me anew. River wash over me.’