Healing Water

"Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river.

Their leaves will not wither,

nor will their fruit fail.

Every month they will bear,

because the water from the sanctuary flows to them.

Their fruit will serve for food

and their leaves for healing."

Ezekiel 47:12

Sparkling clear water flowed into the barren region, turning wasteland into fertile plains and deserts into farms.  What once was dry and unproductive became lush and fruitful.  The ground that used to be hard as stone and incapable of accepting any moisture or nutrients now welcomed the life-giving water into it's rich and loamy goodness.  What at one time had been forgotten and abandoned had now become a delightful safe haven for all living things.  The water brought life to a once dead land.

This same revitalizing irrigation has healing properties for my hurting heart, as well.  It can turn my wasted life into a fruitful one.  The healing water is able to take what was a dead and meaningless existence and turn it into a vital and significant life.  A heart hardened by the harshness of life and the cruelty of man is softened into a tender, sensitive being capable of nurturing all those around.  The neglected soul, cast off as too much of a bother, at the touch of the liquid is made whole and experiences a sense of self-worth never before felt.     

What is the source of this healing water?  God.  When I enter into a relationship with my Creator by accepting Jesus as the One who took my punishment for all the ways I fall short of God's standard, I am the recipient of many good things.

Withstand Heat

I am growing this huge hydrangea bush in my flower bed in South Carolina.  Summers are hot here and the blue-flowered beauty prefers the shade and cooler temperatures.  In order for it to survive, I must diligently soak it's roots each and every day.  If I don't give it enough water one day, by the afternoon the leaves will wilt down under the stress of the heat.  Hydrangeas are not equipped to withstand hot temperatures.

There were three men, on the other hand, who were able to withstand heat.  Nebuchadnezzar had ordered all those who lived in the land of Babylon to bow to his 90-foot tall statue. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, however, refused to bow to anything other than the LORD their God.  As a result, the king had them thrown into a furnace blazing so hot that the men who carried them to their punishment where themselves killed from the intensity of the flames.    

Surprisingly, Nebuchadnezzar saw these rebels walking around inside the impossibly-hot oven.  Curious, he called them out of the flames, "So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them.  They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them." (Daniel 3:26-27)

These three men were devoted to God and out of love and respect for Him would rather die a horrible death than live with the memory of dishonoring God by doing as the king commanded. God honored their faithfulness by sparing their life in a way that drew powerful men of influence to Him.  

 In the same way, my dedication to living a life to please God will result in the ability to withstand the heat of trials found in my life.  I will be like a, "tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."  (Jeremiah 17:8)

Depending upon the water that flows from God's Spirit found within me will give me strength to endure.

Produce Fruit

There are several risks, such as freezing temperatures and poor pruning, that can kill fruit blossoms early in the season that results in a fruit tree turning unproductive.  Great care must be taken to nurture these trees in order to enjoy the best fruit. My purpose for planting a peach tree, for instance, is to produce peaches.  If it doesn't yield a crop year after year, I'm going to be disappointed and tempted to replace it.

Similarly, I am called to let God's love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control show as I go about my day.  Most of the time, however, it is the fruit of my flesh that is abundant:  Putting my wants and desires before God's, hostility, irritability, jealousy, quarreling, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, wild parties and the like. (Galatians 5:19-23)   

There are many risks to God's fruit crop yielding abundance in my life: My comfort, my busyness, my determination, my independence.  These all kill the blossoms, preventing His bounty from coming to fruition.  I am at constant risk of losing my usefulness as a fruit-bearer.  I spend too much time doing things I think I ought to do and not enough time sitting in the presence of the One who gives me life.  I fritter away time in worthless pursuits while my Bible sits idle on the table.  I work hard at staying busy in the church so my life will have meaning only to be left with an empty basket, void of fruit.

I recently pruned some trees in our yard.  I placed the cut branches in a pile at our curb for garbage pick-up the following day and the next morning I noticed that all of the leaves on the branches hung limply.  They did not even survive one day apart from the tree in which it drew it's life.   

Jesus' words as recorded in John 15:4 tell me that I am like those branches.  I can't do anything of value apart from His leading.  He said, "Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."   Just as those branches have no chance to survive let alone produce fruit once they were cut from the tree, I must stay connected to my life-source to have a chance at exhibiting the fruit of His Spirit.  After all, it is His fruit, not mine!

Staying connected to the water that flows from God's Spirit found within me will result in an abundance of His fruit.

Extend Nourishment and Healing

When we moved into the house there was very little landscaping done.  We had to plant grass in the back yard, dig flowerbeds around the house and cultivate flowers to make it seem really at home.  One of my amazing neighbors shared a new plant that added a tropical look to my yard.  It is called an elephant ear, and it must have earned that name due to the size of the leaves that mimic their namesake!

From the one plant that my neighbor shared, I now have a yard full of these mammoth leaves, adding much interest and flavor to the terrain.  In the same way, I am called to be salt in the world.  As one who bears the Spirit of God, my presence makes the world a better place. The Spirit of God that is within me adds flavor and interest, bringing a sense of morals and joy to an otherwise depraved world.  

Each believer carries God's Spirit with them wherever they go, enhancing the goodness that can be found if one would only look.  His presence shines a light on the evil and convicts the lost to turn to Him.  The Spirit within me gives hope to those with whom I come into contact.

I am not the only one who is benefiting from my relationship with God. As I stay connected to Him, the regeneration I experience spreads to many others.  The water that makes me well spills over to spread it's healing touch to all those in need.

Carrying God's Spirit around with me works to spread His nourishing and healing touch to a world in need.       

God gives me many good things as a member of His family through faith in Jesus Christ.  He gives me the ability to stand up under the pressures of life, to exhibit His fruits in my day to day life, and to extend to others the nourishment and healing He gives.   Come drink from the healing water!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will not horde this water for myself, but share it with all who are in need.

How do I look to my own strength when troubles come instead of relying on God's?

Which fruit is more evident in my life; God's or mine?