Living Water Lasting Impact

Taste and see the Lord is good. Put your trust in Him, and He will produce rivers of living water in you.

“Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations…He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites” 2 Kings 21:1-12

It may not be a very good idea to put a 12-year-old in charge of a nation, especially if you did not teach the 12-year-old to fear the Lord or to follow the Lord. Far from being set apart for the Lord, the people followed the ways of the nations. A passage like this can leave more questions than answers.

A few come to mind. Why did God allow Manasseh to rule for so long if he was wicked and leading others to sin? Why would Manasseh have been so corrupt and committed such evil practices? What would make the people want to worship other gods or idols?

The origin of evil may have been a simple opening that allowed the enemy in. Hezekiah had loved God but had not seemed to care what happened after him. In the last chapter, he showed the treasury to foreigners and said he only cared about peace in his lifetime. Is this not a trap we can fall into? Do we not often measure things as good or bad based on how they impact us and not necessarily how they impact others?

This approach could shed light on his parenting style. God wants us to see beyond ourselves. The shorter the view we take, the more we sin. The fear of the Lord broadens our horizons and challenges us to look at how our lives impact others. How is your life impacting others? Who are you influencing?

“I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.” Psalms 34:1-22

Do you have eyes to see how David had a heart as a shepherd to care for others? He was a man after God’s own heart, and God’s heart is restoration. He began the song by speaking about helping those who are hurting find healing. As we share our story and give God glory, we pass on the baton of hope to the hurting. We are meant to share our stories about how we sought Jesus and He brought healing to our lives. David said sing and share. Make sure you make known what God had done so that your transformed life creates a tunnel of love for the Giver of life to use.

David said, fear the Lord, you holy people. We are meant to recognize that we were made to live in community. We live in an isolated world where you can come and go without ever connecting with others. This goes completely against God’s original design. God said it is not good for people to be alone. Where have you isolated? Where have you drawn away from others?

David cared about future generations and teaching others to follow God’s ways. He said God will rescue his servants. Even in using the title servant for us, God is saying that we have work to do to fulfill His will. Life is not just about what God does in you, but how love flows through you.

“Evildoers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully. Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble. Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty. The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper. Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe. Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.”Proverbs 28:5-27

God wants us to step back so that we can see the different paths before us. One path is all about ourselves. It is evil, avoids following Jesus, is prideful and selfish, ignores the needs of the poor, does not listen to correction, causes fights, and keeps resources for oneself rather than sharing with the community. It hides sin rather than confesses it and closes its eyes, ignoring God and others.

The truth is most of us are not all or nothing. We might have areas of our lives where we trust God and areas of our lives where we trust in ourselves. Solomon very intentionally uses the word always when he mentions the upright. He says blessed is the one who always trembles before God. Solomon said the one who seeks God sees how to please God by how they live, steward their resources, and serve. Where have you been wise, and where do you need to let love lead you in a better direction? Where could you be more generous, patient, or kind? The hard part about loving others like Jesus is we are imperfect people loving imperfect people. We need the Holy Spirit to lead in order to love like Jesus.

“Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool…on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars. Even their children remember their altars and Asherah poles…blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They 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.” The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure…keep the Sabbath day holy…Yet they did not listen or pay attention; they were stiff-necked and would not listen or respond to discipline…bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy by not doing any work on it,” Jeremiah 17:1-24

What habits, traditions, or practices are you passing on to those you love? Truth tells us that children learn what is right or wrong from their parents. Monkey see, monkey do. The text says the children will remember your altars and Asherah poles. This should strike a chord deep within our hearts. Truth tells us that what we worship and the way we spend our time will be remembered by those whom we influence. Think of how much time we spend on social media, watching TV, pursuing more possessions or pleasures. Think of what you accumulate. Have you got your priorities in order? Are you teaching others to fear the Lord and follow His ways by how you’re living and loving?

Jeremiah really gets into our business. We like to set our own schedules and have control. If it’s convenient, we will give up an hour on a Sunday. If it’s convenient, we will not work on the Sabbath. But our culture does not keep the Sabbath holy. If anything, it continues to infringe upon areas that God has given to us to replenish and restore our souls.

Do you realize the impact of doing whatever you want on the Sabbath? Do you ever feel worn out or tired? Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Are you forfeiting the blessing that God wants to give you by forgoing keeping the Sabbath day holy? Why?

“Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth…Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision…you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath?…Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit” John 7:17-39

Is your life rooted in Jesus? Would you like to draw closer to Him so that more of the living water that He promises flows in and through you? Jesus said seek first the kingdom and make Me the center of your life. He was never meant to just be a Sunday Savior or someone who answers prayer when you’re in pain.

These passages invite us to use our God-given senses. David said lift your eyes and see life from God’s perspective. Jesus said see clearly that life is about how God brings healing through relationship, not religious rigor. We were not created to consume His blessings but to become vessels through which His love flows into the lives of others. The tree planted by the stream does not produce fruit for itself. Fruit trees feed others.

Like David and Solomon, Jesus challenges us to see how we can help rather than live to hoard. He calls us to be humble, care for the afflicted, give generously, speak life, honor Him with our time, and build our lives upon His Word. The fear of the Lord shifts our focus to future generations. It helps us see we were made to shape the hearts of our children, encourage our friends, strengthen our communities, and point people to Jesus. A life surrendered to Jesus leaves behind a legacy of love.

Today, ask the Holy Spirit to help you. We were never meant to trust in our own strength or do life alone. Invite Jesus to reshape your priorities, renew your heart, and deepen your love for every person you encounter. A river of love runs through you that can refresh the weary, bless those around you, and bring glory to the One whose image you were created to reflect. Taste and see that the Lord is good, and help lift up others by how you live.