Water Water Everywhere...

This will be a rambling post today - so be prepared for lots of detours ;-)

It all began for me last Sunday, when for some strange reason I was directed to Psalm 107 during my quiet time. I love this Psalm, and had not really dwelled on it before. The repeating phrase "Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble and he saved them from their distress" is still sitting in my heart, waiting for me to examine more deeply (note to self- future blog entry...). But what I have actually been working on this week comes from a different part of the psalm (v33-37):

He turned rivers into a desert,

flowing springs into thirsty ground,
and fruitful land into a salt waste,

because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
He turned the desert into pools of water

and the parched ground into flowing springs;
there he brought the hungry to live,

and they founded a city where they could settle.
They sowed fields and planted vineyards

that yielded a fruitful harvest;

Sunday morning - the same morning I had just contemplated this psalm - our worship time reflected on two questions... What have been the valleys of this year? and What were the mountaintop experiences? We were reminded that the valleys of earth are where the streams of water flow and this thought began percolating in my brain all day. Needless to say, I have been trying to quench my thirst all week around the importance of water. I will share some of what I have learned -

Water facts:

• 60% of the human body is water
• 70% of the human brain is water
• 90% of human lungs are water
• Each day humans must replace 2.4 litres of water
• Water is called the "universal solvent" because it dissolves more substance than any other liquid
• Wherever water goes, whether through our bodies or the ground, it takes along valuable chemicals, minerals and nutrients
• Water is the ONLY natural substance found in all three states - liquid, gas and solid
• 70% of earths surface is water
• Dehydration occurs when the amount of water leaving the body is greater than the amount being taken in
• The thirst mechanism signals the body to drink water when it is dry

So - water is pretty important to us humans, and also pretty darn important to all other aspects of life on earth!

Then I started to reflect on how we see water in the Word. I had some very interesting revelations as I searched the scriptures. For example, see if any of these resonate with you...

I have always known the very beginning of our story from Genesis 1:

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth

and the earth was without form and void;

But now that I am looking at this scripture with new eyes, I realize that in the beginning God began with water...

and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

So God begins His word with water...and guess what...He ends His word with water too!

Revelation 22:1, 17

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life,

clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb...

The Spirit and the bride say,

"Come!" And let those who hear say

"Come!" Let those who are thirsty come;

and let all who wish to take the free gift

of the water of life

Now I feel again like I am sitting on the crest of some greater understanding. I have been carefully working through the scriptures to see that many great words and revelations are delivered near the water. Here are just a few examples I discovered this week:

Isaiah 43:18-21 - God tells us that He is providing water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland to give drink to His people

Nehemiah 8:2-3 - Ezra the priest re-introduced the law to the people of Jerusalem when standing at the WATER GATE.

Psalm 23: The shepherd leads his sheep beside still water...

Jesus began and ended his earthly ministry with water:

John 2:7 - Jesus changed the water into wine (and it was rated the BEST tasting by the master)

John 19:28 - Jesus last words were "I am thirsty" (and he was given vinegar which is considered the wine unfit to serve as drink)

John 3:5 - Jesus answered "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit"

John 3:14 - but those who drink 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.

On this pilgrimage of mine, I search for the Living Water - the essential nutrient for survival. It will satisfy my thirst, and will allow me eternal life. To prevent dehydration I must take in more Living Water each day. I am a vessel of the water, and my goal is to continue to become filled to the brim, not running on empty :0)

Irony is not lost on me that the Living Water is found in the valleys of our life. God brings us down to the valley from our mountaintops so that we may remember who He is - and that we may look up to Him!

As I enter this New Year and continue to map my path and check my GPS, it will be good for me to remember that my canteen must be full of this essential water to satisfy my thirst on my journey...