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There is A River
There is an old chorus we used to sing years ago called “There is a river”.
“There is a river that flows from God aboveThere is a fountain that’s filled with God’s great love.Come to the waters, there is a fast supply.Come to the waters it never shall run dry. “
Written by Max and David Sapp.
The song is talking about the Holy Spirit coming as a river and as a fountain, not as rain that many modern choruses speak of.
I want to look at the some of the times the way water is talked about in the Bible and different ways the Holy Spirit is portrayed in ways similar to the natural flow of water.First let us all be confident of the fact that there is a river and it comes from God!
In the Garden of Eden there was one river that must have got larger as it divides into 4 rivers. But it is interesting to ask were did that first river originate and how could it get larger?
In the natural there is rain falling in the hills and flows down in small streams that join together to make a single river before the water reaches the sea.Then evaporation takes place and the water particles rise up making clouds with then as they cool makes rain or snow.
But those of us who take the Bible literally will understand rain did not come till the time of the flood in Noah’s time.So, where did the rivers prior to the flood get their supply?
There would have been a heavy mist during the night, but that would not have been sufficient to supply four rivers in the Garden and all the other rivers before the time of the flood.Or is there another supply method of getting water to source the rivers?
Yes! There is a very large supply of water deep in the ground and it was probably greater before the time of the flood so there would have been enough water for the original input and a continuing refill.This is interesting when looking at the existence of the Holy Spirit in one’s life. There is a great supply deep within us that comes from an original input and a continuing springing up from deep inside.
Spiritually I know there is a river of the Holy Spirit and it comes from God.
Since the flood the natural rain falls in the hills, some soaks into the water supply under ground and the rest and flows down in streams which join together to makes rivers before the water reaches the sea.Some of the water under ground that is available to seeming dry areas either springing up from under ground pressure or via wells that need to be dug.Then evaporation takes place and the water particles rise up making clouds with then as they cool makes rain or snow.
Thinking spiritually now we can see we get input of the Holy Spirit when we are in close relationship with God.We could call those times “high places”.We all go through places of spiritual dryness.Therefore it is important to build up a supply of God’s presence when we are able so there is this reserve within us for these low dry times.Apart from all we can do there is still God and He has a spiritual river available at all times.
In the book of Ezekiel there is a river that starts off just a trickle but as it flows out it gets bigger and bigger.Where does this river start? (Ezek 47NIV)Close to the very alter of God!
There is a river available to all who call on Him and it comes from His Presence.
For those like me who go through times of dryness and seeming hopelessness, there is a river and it comes from God.There is a supply deep within all believers that is there for our own dry times but is also there to flow up through us to be emptied out for the blessing of others.The water in the natural flows down and out to the sea then back up via rain to again return down the hills.So it is in our lives and the flow of the Holy Spirit. We have the Holy Spirit within us to flow up and out of us to bless others and is then returned into the cycle.We get filled to be emptied and to be filled again.We just need to allow it to flow up from within us.
Psalm 46:4 NIV There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.