Cleansing Water
Jesus cleanses us from the inside out as the river of life flows in and through us.
“After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?” The Lord answered, “Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.” Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage. One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?” She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs."
Judges 1:1-2, 8, 12-15, 19, 22-25, 27-28
Do you wonder why Aksah asked for the springs of water? What about that request is relevant to what we can learn and how the text applies to our life? Imagine the land that she received as a blank slate. The area was likely dry and undeveloped. Essentially she was asking for the missing element to make the land fruitful with the potential for abundant harvest.
Water would give her the ability to plant, nurture, and harvest with consistency. Without water there can be no life. In essence, the land was the inheritance, and the water was what made the inheritance produce impact. How does this relate to your life? What fruit are you producing? Do you feel refreshed and filled with life? Do you feel dry and thirsty? Often, there are some areas of our lives that are thriving and some that need nurturing.
Wisdom teaches us to not only ask for the inheritance, but how we can use what we have been give to become a blessing. Aksah was bold and asked for what she wanted. What do you want? How would producing more fruit in your life result in greater impact on other people. Jesus says He is the vine and we are the branches. Just like the springs of water, we have to have a source the feeds us.
“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.”
Psalms 62:1-2, 4-8, 10-12
Is your soul at rest? Do you have peace? Jesus always said peace be with you to the people He encountered. Like a cell phone whose batteries run out of juice, our souls are constantly in need of recharging. We need to be refreshed and rejuvenated in order to be at peace.
It has been said that you cannot give what you do not have. How can we refresh others if we are feeling worn out. The life that God designed for you and for me is one where we are constantly refreshed as we are connected to Him. If you are feeling worn out or tired, feeling thirsty or dry, then perhaps you need more time with God. How much time do you spend with God each day? How much time reading His word, praising His name, and sharing what you have learned with others?
One of the best ways to be refreshed is by practicing the Sabbath. How well do you practice the Sabbath? Do you take time to be unavailable to the constant notifications of your phone, put work and your to-do lists away, and just receive what your soul needs? Ironically, paid clergy, the very professionals who minister on behalf of God can be the worst at taking time off. When David says he trusts in God at all times, he is declaring that there is never a time that he cannot make time to connect with God.
“Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? “To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind. You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, set your hearts on it. Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right. To the discerning all of them are right; they are upright to those who have found knowledge. Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full. For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord.”
Proverbs 8:1, 4-6, 9-14, 17-21, 32-35
If you had the choice between going into a room where you could have all the gold you could carry or going into a room where you could gain an abundance of wisdom from the Lord, what would you choose? Where do you feel you are most lacking? For some, it might be material resources. For others, it could be wisdom from the Lord. Solomon confidently shares that he believes wisdom is more valuable than anything you can purchase. To put this into another analogy. Would you rather have a boatload of fish or being a skilled fisherman?
Solomon says that if you find wisdom you find life and receive favor from the Lord. One of the practices we should all engage in is daily evaluation of how we are using our most precious commodity, our time. It is the most finite resource that we have and yet the one most easily wasted. How are you using your time? Are you dedicating time to the cleansing waters of wisdom? Or does your calendar speak of a life careening from one thing to the next. When people ask how have you been, do you say busy? Or do you say blessed beyond measure by what you are learning and how you are seeing God move?
“From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit. “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’ ” And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.”
Jonah 2:1-2, 4, 6-10
Jonah made a big mistake. He ran from the Lord and tried to avoid doing what he was called to do. We could easily judge Jonah for his poor judgment, or we can learn from his response after he had just blown it. Put yourself in his shoes. You just got thrown into the water and swallowed by a whale. What does your prayer sound like other than simply help me God get out of this fish!?
Jonah shows why God chose him originally to deliver the message to Nineveh. Look at the boldness and confidence he shows in his prayers. Jonah doesn't let his own failures keep him from believing in God's faithfulness. Jonah does not say God if it is your will or if it is okay. He is not timid at all. He declares Lord I called and you answered. I will look again toward your holy temple. Don't forget he is saying this from a whale's belly. What we learn from Jonah is that remembering God's character and His promises can get us through any situation. Hope refreshes our souls and our hope is found in Jesus. Are you praying with boldness and believing in God to do the miraculous? Why or why not?
“He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence."
Hebrews 9:1, 7, 11-12, 14-15, 22, 24-26
How effective are you at ministering to others when you are thinking about yoru own failures? Jesus came to set us free from the barriers that block us giving life to others and loving God fully. He set us free from the penalty of sin and death. Paul says He cleansed our consciences so that we may serve the living God.
The point is Jesus wants to have the rivers of living water flow in and through us. He cleansed us so that we can bring life to others and bear fruit in our lives. Just like Aksah had a vision of seeing her inheritance become a perpetual blessing by bringing in springs of water, Jesus wants us to use the inheritance of the Holy Spirit to bring life to the world around us. We are blessed so we can bless. Cleansed so we can bring the cleansing water of Christ to others. So, what do you want? Do you want to live a life of impact? Do you want to be generous and help refresh others by allowing Jesus to flow through you?
The good news is no matter how good or bad things may be today, at least you are not in the belly of a whale. There is hope and the same God who saved Jonah so he could help save the city of Nineveh wants to use you to save others. Give thanks to God for He who began a good work in you will carry it to completion whether you are standing by refreshing spring waters or stuck in a place you never thought you would be.